At the Source: Wool, Land, and the Future of Tasmanian Knitwear

Beginning Before the Garment

When we speak about sustainability in fashion, it can be easy to start with the garment. However, it tuly begins further back in the fields with the growers who care for land and animals long before wool becomes yarn, and yarn becomes knitwear.

Farming with Respect

At a panel following the sold out screening of Fashion Reimagined held at the State Cinema last year in Hobart, Shelley Sanders of Barega Merino spoke with clarity about what it means to farm with respect, for soil, for sheep, and for the future. In a landscape where many farmers are pushed to prioritise productivity at all costs, her family has chosen another way. At Barega, they have not practiced mulesing since 2005, and their work is accredited under the Responsible Wool Standard, ensuring that animal welfare and regenerative land management are at the centre of their practice.

The conversation was guided by Andrew Griffiths, author, speaker, and business mentor, who hosted the evening with warmth and curiosity. The panel brought together diverse perspectives from across the fashion landscape: Shelley Sanders of Barega Merino, a wool grower committed to regenerative farming and responsible animal welfare practices, Tamika Bannister, designer and founder of Spotted Quoll Studio known for her ethical and nature-inspired collections, and Lalita Lowe, designer, sustainability educator, and author of It’s Time to Rethink Your Fashion. Together, they explored how sustainability can be lived out in practice, from the farm to the fibre, the maker to the wearer.

Wool Beyond Commodity

Shelley reminded us that wool is not simply a commodity. Too often, growers produce fibre that is bundled into anonymity, lost in the vastness of global trade. But when connections are made, when a grower knows where their wool will go, who will spin it, who will wear it, the meaning deepens. “It gives us a sense of purpose,” she said, reflecting on the direct relationships Barega has formed with buyers overseas.

Alignment with Aeris Values

This alignment between land, fibre, and maker speaks directly to the values of Aeris. My vision for Tasmanian grown and made knitwear which will be born from the same belief: that luxury begins at the source. That every decision, from how sheep are raised to how wool is spun, knitted, and finished, carries within it a responsibility to land, to animals, to people.

Choosing the Alternative Path

Shelley also acknowledged the reality that regenerative growers remain in the minority, often viewed as “alternative” in an industry driven by volume and price. Yet her work shows us that another way is not only possible, it is already here, and it is the path I choose in the development of Aeris and Gigi and Bloom petite dog knitwear, soon to be released.

Knitwear as a Chain of Care

To wear knitwear made in Tasmania from Tasmanian wool is to honour this chain of care. It is to support the farmers who choose integrity over expedience, the makers who hold knowledge in their hands, and the land that gives so generously when treated with respect.

A New Story for Fashion

Aeris exists in this space between soil and garment, between fibre and form. It is shaped by the same principles Shelley expressed: provenance, purpose, and the quiet strength of collaboration. Together, these create not just knitwear, but a new story for fashion, one where beauty is inseparable from responsibility.