IRIS AND WOOL
BEHIND THE BRAND
WHY IRIS AND WOOL?
Iris & Wool is an Australian fashion brand founded by
designer Emily Riggs. It is a company with authenticity and sincerity. The Iris in the name is in honour of Emily’s mother – it was her favourite flower. In a world where most companies are driven by the pursuit of profit, experiencing loss at an early age motivated Emily to build a business based on philanthropy, sustainability and love.
Producing luxurious designs crafted from the finest
Australian Merino Wool, the brand has established a loyal local followingas well as a growing international community.
Emily’s determination to build a brand with purpose can be traced back to her childhood. When she was just nine-years-old cancer struck twice. Emily was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Then only a year into her treatment, her mother sadly lost her own battle with cancer, passing away from breast cancer,
aged 43. In her most difficult days, Emily found herself turning to fashion for comfort and to express her creative flair.
15 years later, Emily found love with Tom, a fifth-generation Merino sheep farmer. Together, their family runs 15,000 Merino sheep across four properties in Burra, South Australia. In 2019, Emily founded Iris & Wool and finally realised her dream to design, merging her love of fashion with Merino wool.
“Not only is Australia the world’s largest producer of wool but this pure yarn is renewable, biodegradable, sustainable and made from Australian sunshine, grass, water and love.”
Emily Riggs, Iris & Wool Founder and Creative Director.
Emily is passionate about promoting Australian Merino Wool and is dedicated to
nurturing and supporting the local industry and community of Australian wool producers. Iris & Wool’s designs can even be traced directly back to these farms. In recognition of this commitment, the company recently achieved the coveted, internationally recognised Woolmark certification mark.
With limited collections and a timeless aesthetic that transcends trends and time,
Iris & Wool is committed to sustainability and philanthropy. Each item is designed with longevity in mind - a piece to be treasured and worn year after year. The brand donates $1 from each sale to the Childhood Cancer Association and donate beanies to children newly diagnosed with cancer. Emily also recently launched the Beanies for Bravery campaign with 100% of proceeds donated to the Childhood Cancer Association.
With time the brand’s collections have organically grown to include womenswear, menswear and childrenswear, as well as embracing other natural luxury fibres.
We hope you enjoy wearing Iris & Wool as much as Emily has loved creating and designing it for you.
