YshLondon came across Makepiece at London Fashion Week and was smitten with the organic textures and cosy feel their knitwear emanated.

Nicola Sherlock and Beate Kubitz founded Makepiece six years ago, with the aim of making beautiful clothing that was sustainable, eco friendly and had a low impact on the environment. All their pieces are made from British farmed wool including luxurious alpaca and mohair, and their collections feature un-dyed or naturally dyed pieces, which have been dyed with azo-free dye to European environmental standards – what a mouthful!

Nicola and Beate have designed their collections to be timeless and classic so that their pieces can be virtually ‘worn to shreds’, and when such shreds decompose, cause no harm to the earth. What a lifecycle!

The whole cycle is compounded even further by the fact that Makepiece don’t just source their yarn – the pair own seventeen acres of land for a flock of 70 sheep, but they are already planning to expand this further. A huge amount of the wool will be used for their collection and sampling, but they also sell some of their yarn in wool shops.  A more holistic approach to the design and manufacturing process of knitwear couldn’t be imagined…

Their current ‘circles of life’ Autumn Winter collection uses Shetland wool from blue-faced Leicester sheep, as well as British alpaca and mohair. This collection includes 3-dimensional techniques that have been developed using domestic knitting machines. Circles have been reflected through layering, whirling, entwining and curling, making a warm, soft and snug collection ready for cocooning you against the winter ice. Ruffles, gathers, pleats and folds have also been incorporated into the ‘circles of life’ collection creating structures of protections, yet conversely, the pieces are delicate and intricate.

The Makepiece snood is a particular favourite of mine, using delicate and loose tension techniques to give the pieces amazing drape and also airtight protection against the wind. They are a fantastic accessory for this coming winter - or even this May, the way the weater’s going - to be worn inside or out – truly pieces which are for any age and any style and timeless classics, surely something which eco campaigners encourage.

Although the dresses and cardigans are harder to pull off, the ‘Edgeway Dress’ reminds me of the Calvin Klein collections of the 1990’s, and would be teamed well with jeans for a contemporary look.

The simple natural colour palette is key to accentuating the textures and the natural imperfections found in the wool. Overall their innovative design ideas and refined knitted textures are worth keeping an eye on as they are classic original pieces and you’ll be looking snug in this eco-friendly collection.

Images courtesy of Beate Kubitz from Makepiece