Spinning Yarns Speaker Series: Farm to Fashion – creating a local wool wardrobe in Southern Ontario
Spinning Yarns Speaker Series panel on the farm-to-fashion movement with three incredible Ontario-based women who are leading the transformation of local Canadian wool into landscape-specific, fully traceable wardrobe classics.
Brenda Hsueh, farmer at Black Sheep Farm (@farmblacksheep), shared her experience with regenerative sheep farming and emerging possibilities like silvopasture.
Wave Weir of Wave Fibre Mill (@wavefibremill) spoke about running a medium-capacity wool mill and acting as a bridge between local farms and designers looking to source textiles locally. She highlighted the growing interest in wool and how she is investing in long-term skills training and employment opportunities in her rural community.
Julia Gray, who, along with her husband Connor Dudgeon, opened @graystoronto, a slow fashion boutique and community space on Dundas St. West in Toronto in spring 2024, shared what inspired her to create a 100% Ontario wool collection and why she wholeheartedly believes in the future of local wardrobes.