A new collaboration between a major Australian clothing brand and a 150 year old Tasmanian textile mill is aiming to celebrate decades of quality Tasmanian craftsmanship.
Country Road has teamed up with Tasmania’s Waverley Mills to recreate iconic striped picnic throw rugs that the two companies collaborated on back in 1994.
The limited-edition throws are made from Tasmanian Merino wool sourced from Beaufront, a fourth-generation farm off Tooms Lake Road in Ross.
The wool is then spun, woven and finished at Waverley Mills in Launceston.
Beaufront farm owners Julian and Annabel von Birba say they’re proud to be a part of something so special.
“We’ve visited the mill, it’s got so much history, connection to our industry and there we see our wool turned into a throw, that’s super exciting. That really does focus you on what you’re doing and drives that commitment to quality and being part of something bigger than just the farm,” Julia said.
Launceston’s Waverley Mills say they share similar values with Country Road and saw it as a way to rekindle their relationship.
“Our master weaver, Andrew, he’s been here for over 30 years. He knows this place inside out. He knows our looms inside out. And he was one of the people, when he was a young fellow doing the weaving, who worked on the Country Road product that we’ve now recreated,” said Waverley Mills CEO Dave Giles-Kaye.
The collaboration celebrates the anniversaries of both brands – with Country Road turning 50 this year and Waverley Mills turning 150.
