Untouched World: Kool Kiwi Klothes
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 09.27.07
It's always encouraging to discover yet another Antipodean company that has been embracing green design in the apparel sector. Untouched World hail from Christchurch, New Zealand.
Organic is their big theme. Be it 100% organic cotton denim, 100% organic cotton, or their own Organic ‘Mountainsilk’ which is described as a machine washable supersoft organic merino. New Zealand Merino has been getting a big rap recently, but organic versions much less so. We believe, in the case of Untouched World, their organic merino is sourced ironically from Australia, yet still comes from non-mulesed merino sheep.
The company also offer ‘Merinomink, a blend of possum fibre and merino wool. They note that possums [native to Australia but a feral animal in NZ] can munch their way through 20,000 tonnes of vegetation per night, threatening New Zealand’s native ecosystems. Other eco initiatives include the use of tagua nuts for buttons, ethical and fair trade manufacturing, and community support through their charitable trust. ::Untouched World, via a web surfing safari.
