WOOL REVOLUTION STUDIO JOINS TĀMAKI ZERO WASTE HUB

We are thrilled to announce that Wool Revolution Studio has joined the Tāmaki Zero Waste Hub in Glen Innes, East Auckland, as a tenant, bringing hands-on textile workshops and community skill-sharing to this growing circular economy hub.

The studio's work has always centred on giving new life to materials that others might overlook. At the Tāmaki Zero Waste Hub, that mission finds a natural home. In a space where materials are continuously recovered and redistributed, Wool Revolution Studio will deliver workshops focused on repair, reuse and creative upcycling, and provide community access to needle felting machines, transforming discarded textiles and fibres into functional and artistic pieces.

As Liz Mitchell puts it: "Textile waste is one of the fastest-growing and most complex waste streams. The Tāmaki Zero Waste Hub is a unique environment to explore practical and creative responses, a space where materials are continuously recovered and redistributed, allowing for real experimentation, education, and transformation."
The studio's approach aligns deeply with the Hub's core values of kaitiakitanga (care for the environment), whanaungatanga (community connection), and akoranga (learning through doing).

We look forward to growing this partnership and welcoming new makers, learners and collaborators through the doors.

Silent Skies

Silent Skies at Māngere East Community Centre
Earlier this season in 2025, we proudly launched Silent Skies — a creative community workshop led by renowned designer Liz Mitchell MNZM, alongside Andria Eyles and a team of skilled tutors, weavers, and spinners. Hosted at the Māngere East Community Centre, the workshop has brought together local residents of all ages to learn, share, and create.

We gratefully acknowledge the Auckland Airport Community Trust for their generous support in making this project possible.

Precious Collaborative

Discover the story behind Precious Collaborative, and why slow fashion matters now more than ever

Precious Collaborative is Claire O'Connell's Wanaka-based brand, built on a vision of sustainable fashion for all. When the opportunity to work together arose, it felt like a natural fit — a shared commitment to quality, timeless elegance, craftsmanship, and a deep love of wool.

"This project gave me the opportunity to respond to the magnificent Central Otago landscape and to create the Lake Wanaka Coat Collection." — Claire O'Connell and Liz Mitchell MNZM, as featured in IT'S INTERVAL, Issue 3

Crafted in our Grey Lynn Atelier, the Lake Wanaka Coat Collection celebrates the timeless beauty of New Zealand wool — woven on foot-pedalled looms by McLean & Co in Oamaru, and shaped by the pinstripes and herringbone patterns of Central Otago's natural palette.

But this collaboration is more than a seasonal line. It's a stand against fast fashion's harmful impacts, and a call to rebuild local industry with transparency, care, and creativity.

"These bespoke, luxury garments raise awareness that we can have a fashion industry within our own country — one that supports local makers, natural fibres, and meaningful design."

Exploring the Living Intelligence of Wool with Liz Mitchell MNZM

For many years, I have worked with New Zealand wool through bespoke tailoring and textile design, but this conversation invited me to look even deeper into the remarkable qualities of this natural fibre. In this interview with Strange Intelligences Lab, I share my experiences of working with wool, my observations of its unique character and resilience, and my hopes for a future where creativity, sustainability, education, and local production can help regenerate both our textile industry and our relationship with the land.

Campaign for Wool NZ

Why We Stand Behind New Zealand's Strongest Fibre

Liz Mitchell MNZM has spent her career working with natural materials, and wool has never been far from the centre of it. Throughout decades of bespoke tailoring and textile design, her belief in New Zealand's strong wool has only deepened — not just for its beauty, but for what it represents: a regenerative resource, a living connection to the land, and an industry worth fighting for.

As Liz puts it, "Throughout my career, I always loved natural materials and had strong ties with the New Zealand Wool Board. I love the beauty of wool. It is enduring, versatile and breathable. It helps create classics for customers that value quality and sustainability."

In 2024, that conviction led to the founding of Wool Revolution Studio — a creative home for makers, thinkers, and collaborators who believe the time is right for New Zealand's strong wool to return to the world stage.

A vital part of that work is our involvement with Campaign for Wool NZ, the New Zealand branch of a global initiative begun in 2010 by the former Prince of Wales. As an Ambassador since 2018, Liz has been part of a community dedicated to building a secure, regenerative future for New Zealand's strong wool, backed by science and led by people who care. Campaign for Wool promotes wool's technical performance and extraordinary functionality, and its role in supporting the health of our planet's ecosystem.

We believe the relationship between wool and design in Aotearoa can be one of circularity, creative craftsmanship, and deep human connection. New Zealand’s strong wool is not a relic; it is a largely untapped resource with the potential to transform our homes, wardrobes, and built environment, while delivering real economic and environmental benefits across the entire supply chain.

This is an industry we can be proud of. And one worth investing in.

THIS RAW MATERIAL EXHIBITION

Corban Estate Art Centre

29th October - 9th December, 2023

This Raw Material was an exhibition featuring contemporary wool craft and bespoke creations by Liz Mitchell (MNZM).

Liz passionately believes that Aotearoa’s wool remains an underutilized resource with vast potential. It is primed for transformation into tangible products ideally suited for the global built environment. However, wool has unfortunately been overshadowed by synthetic fibres and plastics, which contribute to environmental pollution.

Liz’s mission encompasses two critical objectives: to introduce Aotearoa’s wool into every household and to showcase its versatility in a myriad of architectural applications. Her ultimate aim is to reignite worldwide appreciation for wool, driven by her design-centric approach, with the ambition of positioning Aotearoa’s robust wool as a sustainable and regenerative resource. This endeavour seeks to return wool design to the international forefront.

Exhibition Photographer | Ralph Brown