Wool
Understanding what wool is - and why it's a material of the future
Sheep, human and wool
At the heart of our history
To focus on wool is to look back to the foundations of human societies, to our “prehistory”.
Sheep were one of the first species domesticated by humans: the first evidence of sheep farming dates back to the 9th millennium BC and is located in the Fertile Crescent.
The benefits of domestication have helped humans to settle down.
The transition from a nomadic to an agricultural life has led to the growth and expansion of our population, the complexification of our social structures and the emergence of technological innovations.
Humans have long been closely linked to sheep.
A brief overview to better understand our relationship with Ovis Aries.
La Grotte des Combarelles, located in the Dordogne, decorated with numerous animal representations dating from around 13,000 years ago, highlights the historical relationship between man and the mouflon.
Sheep genetic evolution
From Ovis Orientalis to Ovis Aries
From a wild animal – the southwestern Eurasian Mouflon – the domestic sheep gradually emerged.
This transformation can be seen as a series of genetic mutations – spread over about eleven millennia.
These human-induced mutations – and certainly occasionally influenced by environmental conditions – were motivated by the search for specific characteristics in sheep: their size, horn size, reproductive capacity and wool quality.
Today, there are over a thousand breeds of sheep in the world – including 58 in France.
What is wool?
Millennial material
Most mammals have ‘fur’ – an accumulation of hair that insulates the body.
In some species (sheep, goats, rabbits, camels, yaks, etc.), part of the coat has historically been used for utilitarian purposes (to make yarn, clothes, tapestries, etc.). In these animals, the “wool” is ultimately the down – the hair closest to the body – which is shed naturally at the end of winter.
Other wools – not from sheep – are particularly appreciated for their quality.
For example: mohair (from the Angora goat), cashmere, yak wool, camel wool, Angora rabbit wool, alpaca wool, etc.
These are fibres derived from down, obtained from the combing of hair clippings at the time of the animal’s “moult” at the end of the winter.
Wool's quality
Outstanding material
The unique complexity of wool fibre gives it outstanding properties that cannot be imitated with synthetic materials.
Wool is soft to the touch, thanks to the fineness and flexibility of its fibres. Thanks to its anti-static properties, it does not retain dust.
Wool is an active material that reacts to changes in body temperature. It is a highly effective thermoregulating material.
Wool is harvested every year and is a completely renewable material. Once composted, it has the ability to decompose completely in the soil in just a few years.
Wool is naturally elastic. It adapts to external mechanical stresses and returns to its original state, making it wrinkle resistant.
Wool fibres absorb up to 35% of their weight in water vapour, which is then released into the air. This absorption capacity also applies to odours: wool prevents bad odours from taking hold.
Diagram of the composition of a wool fibre, showing its different components and their physical characteristics. Source : Woolmark.
How to transform wool
Adaptable fibre
The transformation of a raw fleece into a garment is a complex process carried out in several stages.
Wool combing in the French industry at the beginning of the 20th century – a skill and industry that has almost disappeared. Source : Berthaud Frères.
French wool
Precious heritage
In France, until a few decades ago, sheep were raised to sell their wool.
Now – since 2002 – recognised by the European Union as an “animal by-product”, French wool – despite its proven quality and diversity – is often badly valued.
As a result, France now exports the vast majority of its wool abroad – only 4% of wool is used domestically.
A quarter of the world’s wool production is now produced in Australia, and the country supplies almost all the wool for the fashion industry.
Natural heritage too precious to be thrown away or devalued in the eyes of many actors, many are those who are mobilising to promote French wools – and their transformation on the national territory. We are proud to be one of them.