Our clothes are often more well-travelled than we are. Have you ever thought about how that sweater you’re wearing was made? A typical garment can travel between five to ten countries before landing in your wardrobe.

Eighteen per cent of major brands scored zero per cent on the 2023 Fashion Revolution Transparency Index. Fashion supply chains are often convoluted and opaque.

Over the last 40 years, Untouched World’s craftspeople have mastered the art of creating decade-lasting, pill-resistant knitwear. Traceability is not just a fanciful notion; it’s a reality.

With 94 per cent of the Untouched World collection proudly made in New Zealand, their supply chain is simple, and they directly support over 110 local families. The brand’s Ecopossum™ range features brushtail possum fibre, which is spun into yarn in Wellington before being knitted into garments in their Christchurch workrooms. Using possum fibre helps control the possum population, which poses a huge threat to New Zealand’s native flora and fauna.

Untouched World takes a regenerative approach to their practice. Over 90 per cent of the merino wool used in the collections is sourced from Glenthorne Station, a ZQRX™ accredited farm in the beautiful Cantabrian high country. Located just 110km away from the Untouched World workrooms, Glenthorne leads the way when it comes to regenerative farming practices and their merino is grown to the highest standards of animal, social, and environmental welfare.

Regenerative farming takes a systems-based, holistic approach, with the goal of making the land more productive and biodiverse over time. In most situations, improving soil health and function is pivotal to improving productivity and biodiversity.

At Untouched World, they consider the whole life cycle of everything they make, from the fabrics and fibres they use to how long a garment will last, and how easy it is to care for. Fabrics like their ZQ™ certified merino, organic cotton and luxurious Ecopossum™ can naturally return to the earth and break down without contributing to landfill.

Wool takes as little as three to four months to decompose, and organic cotton up to six months to decompose – a mere heartbeat in time when compared to synthetic fabrics, which can take anywhere from 30 to 500 years to decompose.

This is where the circular economy comes in: a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. Products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like repair, reuse, recycling, and composting.

In 2023 alone, Untouched World saved over one tonne of waste yarn from landfill. Any wool scraps were either recycled back into new yarn for their kids and baby collections, or given to recycling companies to make into home insulation.

The Untouched World team is always looking for innovative ways to minimise waste. In 2023, they launched ‘These Socks are Rubbish’. Leftover knitwear scraps were shredded and spun into new yarn for socks. This recycling process is completely water and dye-free, and the stunning colours of these unique new yarns are derived naturally from the offcuts.

Experience the entire collection at the Untouched World flagship store at 155 Roydvale Ave. While you’re browsing, take a peek through to the workrooms to see the garments being made, then grab a coffee and a bite in the oasis of the adjoining Untouched Kitchen. Freshly renovated, the store has undergone an exquisite transformation. Inspired by nature’s timeless beauty, the new design harmoniously blends clay tones, soft woods, and local stones to create a sanctuary of comfort and calm.

Words by Charlotte Instone | untouchedworld.com

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