NAGNATA founder Laura May speaks to The Woolmark Company's Lisa Griplas about the brand's recent Merino Wool CORE seamless knitwear collection, designed in collaboration with The Woolmark Company. 

Across the world, consumers are making more educated purchases: they want more than just a tangible product; they want to know they are supporting positive movements and making conscious decisions. It’s these consumer needs which make brands sit up, listen and hopefully take action. 

As a relative newcomer on the market, Nagnata forms part of a new generation of labels which focusses on its social responsibility and the impact it can make. Nagnata integrates premium textile innovations with thoughtful negotiations between sustainable manufacturing and directional design. 

“Our philosophy when approaching each collection is one of ‘sustainably minded design’ and it’s a continuous negotiation between what is the most environmental conscious option that will still enable us to make a high-quality garment, that will hopefully last a lifetime. Through our collections and brand messaging we are working towards redefining value in the industry and challenging the rampant consumerism of fast fashion. 

We believe style and quality does not need to be sacrificed in the pursuit of sustainably produced fashion. The sustainable considerations are our responsibility as designers and can play our part in influencing the industry and consumer behaviours.  

'As designers, we are driven by design and textile innovation. Our aim was to develop an innovative performance wool seamless knit fabrication that wasn’t already on the market and which could provide a super soft second-skin hand feel using the highest possible content of natural fibres. By blending Merino wool with Tencel - as opposed to with high contents of synthetics usually required for compression and stability in the knitting process - we were able to maximise the natural performance properties of wool: breathability, odour resistance, elasticity and moisture and temperature regulation. We wanted to work with Merino wool initially for sustainability reasons, as wool is a natural, biodegradable and renewable fibre. Merino wool is also one of the world’s most technically advanced fibres and works in total harmony with the wearer’s body.' - LM

Nagnata is part of a small but fast-growing tribe of both brands and consumers who are astutely aware of the environmental impact of their decisions. It’s widely known that the fashion industry is one of the most harmful in the world, and the rise and rise of fast fashion certainly does not help this cause. As consumers, we can make more responsible purchasing decisions by choosing natural fibres. As Dame Vivienne Westwood famously said: “Buy less, choose well, make it last”. As designers, brands can make conscious decisions like Nagnata's choice to use non-toxic dyes and minimise their use of synthetic fibres and even coating them with natural fibres to avoid skin contact.

 'Our skin is our biggest organ and absorbs the toxins and chemicals from the textiles we wear on our bodies. Synthetic fabrics are mainly derived from petroleum and these petrochemicals are not something you want your skin absorbing, especially in yoga and breath-focused practices when your pores are so open. NAGNATA can offer all women a better choice over the sustainability attributes of her wardrobe. Our customer appreciates style and invests in quality pieces that offer versatility, longevity and sustainability. It’s empowering for women, and all people, to know the power of our purchasing to make authentic change by supporting only conscious brands. As an emerging brand we still have a lot of work to do with improving our sustainability practices and spreading our environmental messaging out there to a wider audience, but for now, we are at trying to make the best environmentally conscious decisions we can each step of the way .' - LM