The evolution of Camira as a textile manufacturer has been nothing short of inspiring.
Originally founded in 1974 as Camborne Fabrics in Huddersfield, U.K. (a town famous for its apparel mills) specializing in wool products, the company has since grown into a global behemoth with their hands in every level of the production process. With a “textile technologist” on staff in Graham Berry, director of technical projects, and farmers contracted out to grow their own hemp and nettle plants, the company has achieved total supply chain control. The resulting wool blends from these efforts have not only provided Camira with offerings that are inherently more flame-retardant than just wool alone, but also allow them to usher in the next generation of sustainable textiles to the market.
Upon studying the possibility of mixing harvested nettle plants with wool some years ago, Camira found a significant lack of supply in fiber. So the company petitioned the British government for a grant to produce their own crops. They got one—350,000 £ to be exact, which Camira matched—and began learning how to grow high fiber-yielding nettle plants. The first fabric was produced about two years later, making it the first time nettle had been utilized on a commercial scale since WWII. They branched out from there into growing hemp and eventually expanded even further in their bast fiber offerings to include jute from discarded coffee sacks.
But one new release that really caught our eye this past NeoCon was Camira's Landscape collection. Made from 95 percent pure new wool, it serves as a shining example of the foundation the company was built on over the past few decades. Inspired by menswear and the precise tailoring it requires, the line achieves a very bold level of sophistication. The couture, made-to-order essence is a nod to the no minimum policy that has served as the backbone of Camira’s success.
According to Ian Burn, director of marketing, it was in the 1980s that the company decided to get a firmer grasp on their manufacturing processes. But it wasn’t until the 90s when their environmental product
development began to take shape. The company was acquired by Interface and became one of the first organizations to achieve ISO 14001.
In 2006, they were sold again, and the name Camira was conceived. In 2010 the company received its first Queen’s Award for sustainable development and snagged the second one this year. Queen’s Awards recognize outstanding achievement by businesses in the U.K., and are considered a highly prestigious honor.
“It’s a symbol of trust really with our customers and potential partners,” said Paul Arnold, technical and sustainable innovation engineer.
To learn more about Camira’s bast fiber (and wool) blends, download the company's brochure here, http://bit.ly/1DtLrvE, but also check out their Natural Blends Collection, winner of a Best of NeoCon Silver Award at this year’s show.
