Maribru ethical knitwear

Discover Maribru ethical knitwear hand-crafted using pure organic Shetland wool in natural undyed colours

My name is Mariangela Bruna and I am the London-based Italian textile designer behind the label maribru.

My priorities are to work ethically and sustainably on a small scale, producing handcrafted and high-quality items. My pieces are made with pure organic wool from small British producers, mainly from the Shetlands. The yarn is used undyed in its various natural colours. My work shows and enhances the beauty of wool’s natural colours with their subtle nuances and their warmth. The plus on the environmental side is that I avoid the dyeing process, which can be very polluting and uses a lot of water and energy.

Maribru creative process

All my work is knitted on a domestic manual knitting machine, crocheted or hand-knitted, or a combination of these techniques, in my home studio in London. I thoroughly enjoy the creative process and personally design and make every pattern and style, seeking to create unique and stylish, although timeless, pieces that can be treasured for a long time. My inspiration comes from the combination of romantic and nostalgic memories of my life in Italy and a love for contemporary, clean and simple visual styles.

I create pieces which are unique, since they combine different traditional techniques in a personal way, and do not follow trends. They can be treasured and enjoyed for a long time.

I strive to make ethical and sustainable choices in every step of the designing and making process, as well as in my personal life, so that these are not just empty words but a real way of life.

Why organic, undyed Shetland wool?

These yarns come from a certified organic farm on Shetland, this means the sheep and the land they graze on are treated with respect.

The Shetland sheep come in a variety of beautiful natural colours – and they are really cute-looking animals, as you can see from the picture below! Their fleece colours remain unbleached and undyed through the organic scouring process, no chemicals are involved at any stage; the wool speaks for itself, without any artificial addition. The wool is then spun in a mill that still uses 19^th century machinery powered by renewable energy. Using undyed wool is also more environmentally friendly because any kind of dyeing, even if it’s very natural, requires the use of further resources, especially water.

This wool is soft but firm at the same time, therefore your knitted garment will keep its shape over time and it won’t pill as easily as other luxury yarns like cashmere or merino. Although it does not feel as soft to the touch as those yarns, it is as gentle on your skin and doesn’t irritate (unless obviously you are particularly sensitive to wool in general). It is also very lightweight, so maribru’s jumpers feel quite light on the body but will keep you warm and cosy.

These colours will go well with other natural and muted colours but will also look stunning if you pair them with bright colours from your wardrobe for a contrasting effect.

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