Herd Wool and Herd Wear
Laxtons have played a pivotal role in the development of an exciting new venture with Herd.
This innovative brand provides a genuine, fully circular supply chain, from the careful selection of the finest wool, through fibre preparation and spinning, to the manufacture of the finished garments.
The ambition
Herd is a sustainable British knitwear brand founded by Ruth Rands and is rooted in the heritage sheep farming and wool production industries in the North West of England, something we value incredibly highly.
It uses methods and supply chains deeply embedded in the history of the region to create beautiful knitwear, promoting regenerative agricultural methods to sequester carbon, improve biodiversity and enrich land.
Herd wool is yielded by Bluefaced Leicester sheep which breed with hill ewes to make strong, healthy lambs which are well-suited to the landscape and climate.
They then wash this wool with organic detergent to draw out the natural oils, which is then sold on for use in lanolin balms and cosmetics. The soapy water is recycled while the fluffy fleeces go through carding machines to create slivers of high-quality wool. The waste wool from these processes is called ‘noil’ and is sold on to be used to stuff teddy bears and cushions. Lastly the slivers are combed to align the fibres.
Their knitwear is fully circular – produced in Nottingham by a small boutique knitwear factory where it is finalised for production.