Between the busy intensity of London and Vienna’s slower, more deliberate rhythm, a new textiles project has been quietly taking form - one that curates European wool yarns, reconnects designers with local supply chains, and positions wool as a sustainable, design-driven alternative to synthetics and imported fibres. Erda Alpine presents itself less as a supplier and more as a research practice, intent on restoring European wool to the centre of premium fashion.

The project is led by Inga Nemirovskaia, founder of the minimal “slow living” label Lore, known for its use of locally sourced fibres and traditional craftsmanship, and Marlot te Kiefte, whose work spans brand and product development for Grace Wales Bonner and Haider Ackermann, as well as her own experimental, counter-culture–coded studio Parasite Ventures, where a systems-led approach consistently challenges fashion industry norms. Together, Erda Alpine begins with a clear premise: if premium fashion claims to value provenance, material intelligence, and sustainability, then the fibres at its foundation must be interrogated with the same rigour as silhouette or image.

In practice, that means working with European native wool not as a single category, but as a constellation of regional expressions. Erda Alpine develops natural, sustainable yarns whose character is shaped by geography, breed, climate, and handling—materials that retain the texture of their origin rather than being processed into uniform anonymity. The result is a curated portfolio designed for premium applications: distinct, traceable, and materially expressive.

What distinguishes Erda Alpine is its emphasis on infrastructure rather than messaging. The project is less concerned with persuading brands to “care” about wool, and more focused on removing the practical reasons they have stopped using it. By building a transparent production ecosystem that connects designers directly with farmers, spinners, and regional processors, the company reframes European wool as a viable, desirable starting point for contemporary collections.

Like the fabric, the ambition is structural. Erda Alpine aims to re-establish local wool as part of the luxury industry’s working vocabulary, not as a trend, but as a dependable material system. In doing so, it offers something the market has been critically missing: a way for fashion brands to reconnect with locally sourced, natural fibres.