Merino wool is the foundation of everything Longform makes. What is it about the material that keeps drawing you back to it?

It has long been coined a super fibre, and for good reason. It has amazing natural properties. Breathability, temperature regulation, odour resistance, and it is incredibly durable and easy to care for. It is a resource grown in nature and has been battle tested before any yarn has even been spun. And there is also so much you can actually do with it in terms of different fabrications, which I am looking forward to exploring further.

ZQ certification is a non-negotiable for Longform. Can you talk about why the sourcing and supply chain matters as much to you as the finished garment?

Having worked on the other side of things in textile sourcing for the last thirteen years, I have seen how convoluted and wasteful the textile industry can be, and it is very hard to truly know the entire supply chain of a lot of fabrics. ZQ certification is the most stringent and wide-ranging certification at a fibre level for wool. It ensures not only that the sheep are treated with the utmost care, but also that the highest quality wool is achieved and selected for use. We have a couple of new programmes that will push this even further and one that adds a new dimension to what we are doing. Every fabric we have made will carry the appropriate certification. This is a combination of ensuring quality and producing products in the best possible way.

Walk us through what the design process looks like for a Longform piece. Where does it start and how do you know when it is finished?

It largely starts with the fabric. I am trying to build pieces that have longevity, both in quality and in design, and so much attention goes into the fabric. You can buy merino garments of all different qualities, but it is the quality of the fabric that is the base of everything. From there it is about what story I want to portray through shape and colour, then honing in on details and how they function.

You talk about wanting every Longform piece to become someone's favourite everyday garment. How do you design for that kind of longevity rather than just immediate appeal?

It is really about starting from classic pieces and pushing those to a new place. Not every piece will appeal to everyone, but Longform is about creating pieces that can be worn in a variety of situations. The quality of the fabric helps to ensure longevity. There is a balance of having pieces that draw the necessary emotion needed for someone to invest in one of our garments, mixed with core elements that give it longevity. There is space for play within Longform, as long as we are sticking to our overall mission.

What does a piece have to do to earn its place in the Longform range? Is there anything that has surprised you by making the cut, or something you loved that did not?

Each piece needs to have longevity. Whether that be something that will sit in our evergreen offering or pieces that will have limited numbers, it needs to be something that can work beyond one season. The brand's DNA speaks to this so it is constantly front of mind when creating new pieces. Our Foundation collection was pretty tight, so there were definitely some pieces that did not make the cut, mainly some more playful pieces. But they will hopefully earn a spot in releases to come.