Australian apparel brand Country Road has reissued an archival design from its 1994 collection, the Waverley Mills Throw.
It is the first drop in an ongoing production series in 2024 as Country Road celebrates its 50th year in business.
The latest drop was crafted by Waverley Mills in Tasmania, Australia’s oldest working textile mill.
Designed in limited numbers, the Waverley Mills Throw is based on a striped picnic rug produced by the Tasmanian mill in 1994, which was reimagined as a soft throw with yarn-dyed stripes and a rolled fringe, made using locally sourced superfine Merino wool.
“Over the last few years, we've held discussions with Waverley Mills, aiming to understand their craftsmanship down to the finest detail, particularly as they had been a part of our narrative since the early days,” Country Road GM of home Ty Symonds told Ragtrader.
“Our journey with Waverley Mills led us to a pivotal moment last year when we visited their Tasmanian mill. It was there, amidst the archival punch cards used in some of our original designs from the late '80s and early '90s, that we found our "wow" moment.
“These punch cards, a relic from before the wave of technological advancements, sparked an idea that would play a crucial role in our 50th anniversary celebrations.
“We realised the potential of reviving a design from the archives, a gesture that would resonate with our long-standing customers and pay homage to our heritage.”
Symonds added that the serendipity of this collaboration was further underscored by Waverley Mills marketing its 150th anniversary.
“This alignment of milestones has only added to the significance of our partnership, reinforcing our commitment to Australian manufacturing and craftsmanship.
“For us, it represents a rekindling of our relationship and a step toward fostering innovation and sustainability in manufacturing. We worked with Waverley Mills to produce our reissue throws with Merino wool grown by a local Tasmanian farm, Beaufront.”
Symonds also confirmed that this initial drop joins a series of launches and local projects throughout 2024.
“Following the Waverley Mills reissue throw, we’ve since launched an anniversary capsule of our Towards Circularity range, which is available for every member of the family (including pets),” Symonds said. “Each sweat is made using 30% recycled cotton sourced from Country Road off-cuts and factory seconds which are shredded, re-spun and blended with virgin cotton to give them a new life.”
“As a brand, we look forward to bringing more 50 Year product releases to our community throughout the year, with the next one arriving in September.”
Waverley Mills CEO Dave Giles-Kaye said the mill shares a lot of similar values with Country Road, especially regarding craftsmanship.
The Waverley Mills Throw is sold through select stores and online.