Made by Camira
From the beginning textile innovators and sustainability leaders Camira, have consistently pushed the boundaries of what’s possible. Now their commitment to sustainability endures as they make ground-breaking advances in circular, closed-loop recycling, allowing them to reprocess waste wool into new yarns and fabrics.
We ask Lynn Kingdon the Head of Creative at Camira some forward-thinking questions. Learning what’s next from Camira and their perspectives on the future possibilities of textiles in shaping tomorrow’s spaces.
Camira has explored various recycled and natural materials. Can you tell us more about some of the unconventional and/or experimental materials you’re currently working with? And any you may wish to introduce into your textiles in the future?
LK Camira has been working on environmental sustainability advancement for more than a generation, having first introduced recycled wool and polyester fabrics in the late 1990s, using worn army jumpers, coffee sacks and discarded plastic bottles. We’ve also innovated a totally new category of naturally flame-retardant, plant-based fabrics, made using natural wool and bast fibres, such as nettle, hemp and flax.
More recently, we’ve mastered circular, closed loop wool recycling, allowing us to recycle our own waste wool – and the colour within it - into new yarn and new fabric to be enjoyed all over again. Our brand-new fabric, ReSKU 2.0 launched in October 2024, contains our highest percentage of recycled content to date - 79% recycled wool and polyamide, which is generated from waste created during our transport fabric manufacturing process. Blended with 21% renewable flax, ReSKU 2.0 is recycled, renewable and circular.
Textiles, as we all know, have a profound impact on how spaces feel and function. With a growing focus on well-being in the industry, how do you see textiles contributing to enhancing individuals mental and physical wellness in spaces, especially workplaces?
LK Blending wool and plant fibres to create textiles has positive physical benefits to human health – the intimate combinations of wool and plant fibres means that additional treatments are not required for flame retardancy. The intelligent thing about wool-bast fibre fabrics is that in combination they enhance the natural flame retardancy of wool by helping form a stronger char, which acts as a barrier.
Many of Camira’s fabrics are themselves made using plant-based fibres. For example, our beloved, multi-tonal textile Main Line Flax is created using a blend of pure new wool and harvested flax - the best nature has to offer. Our classic plain weave textile, Hemp is a fabric of exceptional natural beauty and is made using a mix of wool and hemp.
What advice would you offer to emerging designers who are looking to innovate responsibly?
LK We’re incredibly passionate about supporting the next generation of designers. We actively support initiatives such as Green Grads which is a UK platform to engage graduates with sustainability, climate change, circular production, waste and pollution, diminishing resources, biophilia, bio-diversity and more.
Design involves making choices - designing solutions for a sustainable tomorrow, making better use of existing resources and minimising our impact on the environment is not only one of our brand values, it’s part of every new project brief.
Luxury and sustainability should be aligned - the development of sustainable fabrics should not mean a compromise in aesthetic values or appeal – customers demand aesthetically appealing and environment friendly fabrics.
Designers are in a powerful position to create a better world, or to contribute to further destruction. Think carefully about raw material choice - the biggest environmental impact is arguably from the raw material itself and design for disassembly to allow products to be recycled at end of life.
Camira collaborates with a wide range of designers, manufacturers and specialists, with recycling service Iinouiio being one of notable impact. Can you share other instances of collaborations that have sparked noteworthy textile ranges?
LK Our core strength lies in having talented in-house textile designers, however we also believe collaboration drives change and have engaged in very exciting projects working with designers and architects across the design landscape.
Earlier this year we launched our first printed wool collection manufactured using its own state-of-the-art digital print technology, in collaboration with textile designer, Kate Lawrie. Combining contemporary printed design with classic woven fabrics, Patternmaker is created using a ground-breaking new printing process which Camira has perfected for wool and wool blend fabrics through significant research and development and capital expenditure funding. Kate has spent 20 years creating textile designs for high street retailers and drew inspiration for Patternmaker from nature, art and architecture.
Another recent notable collaboration with award-winning textile design artist, Sandra Junele saw Camira create unique textile artworks using our own waste yarn and shredded recycled textile waste, mixed with handmade plant-based glue. This innovative approach allows the material to be easily broken down and reused by submerging it in water, offering endless possibilities for reuse. The artworks were gifted as part of a social media competition during Clerkenwell Design Week.
Other collaborations include working with Danish interior designer, Nina Bruun, designer, Jonas Forsman to create the Mooii chair, Wallace & Sewell to design Transport for London fabrics and Anna Starmer, a visionary colour expert who we collaborated with on The Colour Manifesto, a design tool for architects and designers.
As technology continues to advance, how do you see the role of textiles evolving? Could fabrics play a more active role in interior spaces beyond their traditional function?
LK Potentially, architectural curtains and more use of felt panels and acoustically transparent fabrics to enhance the auditory experience of spaces. Provide better sound-proofing solutions to counter the adverse effects of noise pollution.
Other functions: Self-cleaning fabrics, Temperature regulating fabrics, Colour changing fabrics, In-built smart technologies.
Also, as these solutions become more widely recognised we could integrate them from the workplace into residential spaces.
Finally, what’s one radical idea for textiles or interior spaces that you believe could shape the future, even if it feels far-fetched today?
LK At the beginning of this year, we became a ‘Green Grads’ sponsor and during CDW I joined a judging panel for recent Grad Awards. The winning entry was a small team of innovators who had pioneered a product called Cyanoskin. Effectively Carbon capture technology through an algae based-painted coating – this not only addresses the climate crisis by reducing pollution but also helps reconnect people with nature, fostering more positive mental health and well-being and a stronger connection to the environment.
According to global Trend company WGSN, we are moving from the Information Age, where knowledge is the major driver of growth, to the Imagination Age, where creativity will be the currency that generates value and business strategies.
So, get ready for a wild ride – the dawn of a new creativity is here!
Sketch Issue #7
Read the full interview in our latest edition of Sketch Magazine, coming soon.
Next Gen is the theme for our seventh edition showcasing new ideas, trends, opinions, and products that are shaping the spaces of tomorrow. Curated by Allermuir and Senator, two completely different brands with one vision to create innovative products for the workplace.
What else is new?
Go to Senator or The Senator Group
