The Great British Wool Revival: "This is about championing British wool, ensuring farmers receive a fair price for their fleeces"

Hoping to fix a broken system from farmer to designer, the Great British Wool Revival (GBWR) was established by Fashion Roundtable with The King's Foundation and YOOX Net-a-Porter Group, alongside their Modern Artisan programme in September 2024. The idea is to promote British wool and give farmers an opportunity for income generation from their wool. 

Creating a network of businesses to join up industries, hundreds of different businesses, from graders and spinners to farmers, are listed on a mapping system, enabling a true farm-to-fabric business model and long-term relationships that can help to create a healthy wool fibre ecosystem.

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Natural material

Jacqueline Farrel, education director at The King's Foundation, said: "The King's Foundation is delighted to see the growth of the GBWR initiative. Borne out of conversations at Dumfries House during a showcase of Modern Artisan attended by founder Tamara Cincik and Net-a-Porter, it is heartening to see how far it has developed. It is a much-needed information piece to encourage the British fashion industry to embrace locally produced wool and help designers, farmers and consumers make informed choices of the benefits of this overlooked yet incredible natural material." 

Tamara Cincik, founder and CEO of Fashion Roundtable and The Great British Wool Revival said the initiative is well timed and will help to strengthen the farmer to designer supply chain, making British wool, natural dyes and best-practice more accessible in the UK. 

"The revival plugs the systems gap by supporting local production, regenerative practices and fully traceable supply chains. We have had over 200 brands and businesses join our map to date, and thousands of page views in the last year. The 'Dumfries House Clip' scarf, which used wool from Dumfries House, sold out in under 48 hours," she said.

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"The Great British Wool Revival champions British wool, ensuring farmers receive a fair price for their fleeces, which is too often seen as a by-product of the meat industry, whilst serving as a vital bridge between farmers and designers. We are so excited to see how this initiative progresses and grows supporting local wool and on-shoring."

Farmers have been involved in setting up GBWR, including Lake District farmers Maria and John Atkinson who run the Wool Library.

In 2026, the campaign will head to Dumfries House, which is part of The King's Foundation, for a conference about supply chain sustainability and the future of wool.