Here at Swanndri, we’re on a journey to embed sustainability into more aspects of our business. Part of this, of course, means thinking about the life cycle of our products.

So, what happens to a Swanndri once you’ve worn it in and worn it out? When it’s done its dash as a dog blanket or a doormat? When it’s been handed down over the decades but it’s finally time to let it go? The core ingredient of a classic Swanny is wool – a natural fibre, grown from the land. So it makes sense that it returns to the land, right?

The Swanndri Summer range is all about getting back to basics. It’s about enjoying the simple pleasures of all the outdoors has to offer in sunnier seasons. We fell in love with Otematata when we shot our summer campaign there. With its lakes, bike trails, water sports and some epic local characters, not to mention a cheese roll or two….

With this in mind, we headed out to Otematata Station in the South Island’s Waitaki Valley, where Phillippa (Pip) Cameron is the Station Cook and creator of ‘What’s For Smoko’ – a place where Pip gives an insight into life on a 40,000 hectare sheep and beef farm, as well as sharing recipes, ideas and inspiration for hearty, delicious on-farm food.

At Swanndri, we’ve been working with wool since way back. About 1913 to be exact. Sure, we’ve grown and changed since then, just like everyone has. But we’ve always stayed true to this core material.

How come? Well, wool’s pretty darn special. In lots of ways. And it comes from some pretty special farms, right here in New Zealand. So here’s a quick yarn about the wool we use for our outerwear, where it comes from, and the journey it takes to get from there to the clothes on your back (or your dog’s).