Loro Piana: Redefining black sheep

Luxury Italian fashion house Loro Piana, set up in 1924, has traditionally been associated with the sourcing and design of the finest wools, becoming a byword in the 'quiet luxury' stratosphere. This Pecora Nera campaign tells a compelling story, described like this by the brand: "Once upon a time, sheep existed in a variety of natural colours, from the cream colour we know so well through various shades of beige, brown, and black. Yet with time, mankind wilfully bred the darker-hued sheep out, leaving them to become a sight both rare and unpopular – an anti-hero of sorts. Where most farmers looked away, one fell madly in love. Her name is Fiona Gardner, an English expatriate who made New Zealand her home and these unwanted black lambs her family. Knowing there was something refined about the wool, she went on to source far and wide, lending her flock of Merino sheep the genetic advantage of hybrid vigour so that each generation was able to produce a higher quality fibre. Once content with the fibre quality, she searched for someone who would understand its rarity and reveal its particular beauty as they transformed it into clothing. That someone was Pier Luigi Loro Piana, one of the grandsons of Pietro Loro Piana, bringing the Maison’s masterful way with fibres with him. And so, Pecora Nera® was born". Alongside the development of sophisticated wearable tech and artificial, tech-driven fashion materials, there is a perennial fascination with the unmatchable natural fibres and how to preserve their use without over-explotation. What do you think of the ad?

Keywords: Loro Piana Savoir-Faire: Pecora Nera, Fiona Gardner sheep farming, wool, luxury wool garments, wool in the fashion industry, natural fibres,