Top-Paying Foundation Italian Weaver Receives Mana Award
The first Italian weaver to directly contract substantial volumes of New Zealand Merino, and whom each year rewards the
producer’s of New Zealand’s finest Merino bale by paying over $1,000/kg, was honoured recently at an award evening held
in Queenstown, 19 October.
The New Zealand Merino Mana Award was presented to Italian fabric maker Pier-Luigi Loro Piana by Agriculture Minister
Hon. Jim Anderton to celebrate over ten years of working with New Zealand growers to differentiate their fibre globally.
“Pier-Luigi Loro Piana’s passion for authentic, uncompromised quality and excellence of raw materials, and his respect
for the growers of Merino fibre, is exceptional,” says The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) Chief Executive, John
Brakenridge.
“Their special relationship enables a sharing of ideas based on creativity and innovation to produce a consistent supply
of the best quality wool.”
“It is so rare to meet someone who has such a comprehensive understanding of fine wool and how this lends itself to
creating beautiful, refined fabrics,” says Mr. Brakenridge.
“This award is our way of recognising Mr. Loro Piana’s commitment to the NZ Merino industry and of showing respect for
such a passionate artisan.”
To date over 600,000kg (greasy) of New Zealand Merino has gone into Loro Piana’s ‘Zelander’ and ‘Storm System Zealander’
fabric ranges – including production of a limited collection of garments for the NZ team defending the America’s Cup in
2003 – with Mr. Loro Piana announcing intent to work alongside the NZ Merino industry on further such positive
initiatives.
In an ongoing pursuit for the world’s specialty fibres, Mr. Loro Piana first visited New Zealand and New Zealand Merino
growers in 1996 to develop an understanding of Merino production and to discuss ideas for high performance natural
Merino fabrics that are practical, functional and beautiful.
Through a mutual desire to do something more than a marketing programme, Loro Piana’s Zelander® was created. Zelander®
fabrics are made using a select quality of New Zealand Merino wool that is produced in ideal environmental conditions,
is exceptionally clean and white and is characterised by the sheer strength and length in relation to its fineness. Loro
Piana was also one of the first international brands to differentiate New Zealand Merino fabric in an exclusive luxury
market based on the country of origin.
As the biggest single purchaser of the world’s finest wools, for the last eight years Loro Piana has also conducted the
Loro Piana World Wool Record Challenge to find the world’s finest bales.
This year the New Zealand Merino Record Bale was a tie, with the trophy awarded to both Barrie and Yvonne Payne of
Visulea and Simon and Priscilla Cameron of Ben Ohau for their winning bales of 12 micron that were each bought for
$1,650.00 per kg (clean). The Payne's and Cameron’s received their award at the Record Bale event, held recently in
Moscow, hosted by Pier-Luigi Loro Piana. Loro Piana tradition dictates that a bale of even finer wool must be acquired
the following year before the current fibre can be made into fabric, which will ultimately be made into around 50 suits.
On this trip to New Zealand Mr. Loro Piana visited Visulea and Ben Ohau, as well as other stations throughout the South
Island, before attending the award dinner on Friday.
ENDS