Rural designer takes fibre from sheep to chic

PENNY Merriman grew up in Boorowa, NSW, which is about an hour north-west of Canberra.

WOOL MARK: Penny Merriman, the creative country entrepreneur behind the Lady Kate clothing label. Her designs are made using superfine 17 micron wool for lightweight knits and up to 21 micron wool for the chunky styles.

PENNY Merriman grew up in Boorowa, NSW, which is about an hour north-west of Canberra.

It's a picturesque area of undulating hills covered in golden canola and is well situated for superfine wool production.

Her family has been producing fine and superfine wool sheep in this area for more than 110 years and she always "thought wool was a wonderful fibre".

"From lying in the wool bins as a kid to classing the wool on the table, the feel of a really soft, crimpy, high yielding fleece is a wonderful thing," Penny said.

The inspiration for her clothing label, Lady Kate, came from Penny feeling there was "a lack of quality merino wool products in Australia".

Lady Kate was launched, a throwback to the bygone eras when Australia rode on the sheep's back and glamorous women throughout the world were dressed in merino wool.

Have you always wanted to be involved with the wool industry?

Definitely. I always thought my involvement in the wool industry would be through my family's stud but this business allows me to take wool to a new audience which may not have considered it before, and that's rewarding.

Can you relate to having a connection with what your ancestors did, eg wool?

I think my ancestors had the same love of the fibre that I have and that was at the heart of their business as well as mine.

The constant striving to produce a beautiful fleece is addictive and it's no different in creating a garment.

While my family has traditionally focused on providing the fibre and selling the raw product, I am focussing on showcasing the end product to a new market of women, at the same time ensuring the finished product has those same qualities that they have strived for. I guess in some ways it's quite a natural progression.

Can you see any area in the industry that needs to change or is outdated?

I think for a long time the industry was stagnant and I believe it's because the people who work with wool everyday inherently understand what a beautiful fibre it is and forget that people in the cities don't necessarily know its benefits.

I have noticed lots of women's surprise when they feel my garments and I tell them they're made from wool - they hadn't thought of wool as a soft, luxurious fibre. The industry needs to look at wool promotion from an outsider's point of view and turn around the traditional negative perceptions of wool as scratchy and high- maintenance.

Has anyone ever influenced you to be involved in a rural lifestyle?

I think for most kids who grow up on a farm, it's very hard to stay away from your roots.

It's such a blessed existence - having space to roam, fresh air and water, lots of animals around.

Country kids learn a lot of life lessons at a young age. They understand the importance of climate, they learn the circle of life, they know where their food comes from and I believe that as adults that gives them an appreciation for what's important in life.

This is certainly true in the people that brought me up - not just my immediate family, but extended family and friends.

They have amazing resilience, strength of character and a great sense of humour. It's a combination of all those people that influence me in everything I do.

Do you think the wearing of wool as a glamour clothing is back in style?

Certainly in Europe wool is much more glamorous than it is in Australia, which I think is really due to climate. In European cities women can wear belted wool trench coats and tailored suits to work, which isn't really practical for most Australians.

When I established Lady Kate, one of my goals was to show Aussie women the glamour in wool.

Overcoats and tailored suits may not be convenient for a lot of us but, if you need to wear something warm, a beautifully draped, high boat neck sweater in classic monochrome sure beats the old sloppy joe.

What was it like setting up the business?

Before moving to Narrabri, I worked with RM Williams for two years so I had a bit of an understanding of the design process. That said, it was an incredible learning curve and I really didn't have any idea what I was doing for the first few months. I approached A&B Knitwear in Melbourne to manufacture all the garments and the business really started to take shape from there.

What has the reception been?

It's been incredibly rewarding, particularly the encouragement from women in the industry who have been looking for a brand that makes wool more appealing and affordable.

I'd have to say though the best reward is seeing some of the old sheep cockies feeling the garment and giving a quick nod of approval.

Were you involved with the work on the family farm growing up?

I've always loved working on the family farm ... except for fencing and chipping burrs.

Dad has called me a princess many times but the fact of the matter is my hands are just too soft for those jobs.

When we were young, Dad taught us the importance of good stock sense, recognising where the mob would run and learning to muster them smoothly and swiftly into the yards.

I loved learning the cycle of the breeding program, from joining the ewes to lambing to weaning to first shearing and watching the stock grow up the way you've intended. Most of all I loved preparing the show sheep.

I'd feed them every day, spend hours with them trimming up their fleece and picking out my favourites.

Then once we'd get to the show it was always a race to make sure I'd get to hold my favourite on the judging mat and collect the ribbon.

If it was a really good one, invariably Dad or my uncle would take over and collect the ribbon themselves.

Did you have any mentors (formal or informal) with work?

I was very lucky to have two wonderful mentors back on the farm. My dad was my biggest mentor. He has an amazing eye for good sheep and taught me to class sheep and wool.

My other mentor was a man we called Coop. He worked at Merryville for around 40 years and taught me how to rouseabout, throw a fleece, mark lambs, sow a paddock, fence and all the other jackaroo jobs around the farm.

He was a very caring man and wouldn't even let me pay for a lemonade if we went into the pub for a counter lunch.

Where can you see the wool industry going in the next 10 years?

I think wool is really firming up its position in the global fashion world as a premium fibre and this can only serve to push wool prices up in the future. That said, I don't think we'll ever go back to the glory days of "a pound for a pound".

Superfine wool prices in Australia will recover in the next two years as supply is reduced and I think the 18-19 micron range will grow steadily.

Wool is versatile and plays across a range of different fields - there's the sports/active wear field, babies and mothers, homewares and fashion.

In my experience most people who try good quality wool are converts, so I think it's really just a case of getting the word out there.