We’re proud to partner with ZQ to produce our 200gsm Premium Merino range. World leaders for ethical wool, ZQ represents the wool of choice for world-class brands and stands for quality, sustainability and connection, from the merino farmers, to our Vietnamese production facilities and through to our community of sewists.
This partnership with ZQ allows us here at The Fabric Store to trace our merino right back to its source farms, connecting us to the values, vision, and ethical farming systems that went into its production. Considered guardians of the environment, each of these farms maintains individual long-term supply contracts with ZQ. These contracts provide sustainable wool price-points for farmers, meaning they are able to produce fit-for-purpose fibre, be recognised for their values and ethical farming systems, and have income stability. We love that these ZQ contracts give us the certainty that our merino is consistent in fibre quality, traceable to source, meets environmental sustainability benchmarks and adheres to animal welfare and social responsibilities.
This range is milled for us by a heritage company located in Nam Dinh City, Vietnam, with over 50 years in the business. We have a long and trusting relationship with this mill, which is a Bluesign System Partner and provides a MAPP performance guarantee. This company also adheres to social accountability practices based on the Social Accountability International SA8000 Standard, which provides safety and well-being standards for workers.
Before it arrives in our New Zealand HQ as sew-ready fabric, the production cycle is sectioned into four key stages:
Sheep + Fleece — Merino stations and farms across New Zealand
Scouring, Combing + Topmaking — Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, China
Spinning — Dalat City and Nam Dinh City, Vietnam
Knitting — Nam Dinh City, Vietnam
