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right from the start of our research process for series 2, it was clear that the history of this simple yet complex woolen fabric called ‘loden’ would play an important role.
thinking about the seasonal trancehumans, where shepherds move their livestock from one grazing ground to another, typically to lowlands in winter and highlands in summer, we imagined the life, movements and demands it has meant and still means for these people in the past and present.
the historical loden fabric was initally handwoven by peasant families in their homes. typically everything from shearing the animal, spinning the yarn to weaving and finishing the cloth happened under one roof.
after weaving, the cloth goes into a 30-40 degree warm soapy bath. it also runs through a compression machine which presses the fabric.
these finishing steps make the fabric shrink significantly, but it also becomes thicker, more dense and durable.
this hardwearing structure was perfect for farmers to both work in the fields, but also to be prepared against all weather conditions.
the lore goes that emperor franz joseph, who had spent his summers in bad ischl since childhood, had a fondness for the simple clothing of the local rural population and liked to dress in traditional loden during his summer holidays. his followers did the same. as a result, loden went from being purely work clothing to the material suitable for festive occasions that it still is today.
the images document our visit to this 5th generation weaving mill, which was founded in 1884. here fine mulesing-free australian wool fibres are used to create these luxurious hard wearing woolen fabrics.
the production process from fibre to finished cloth involves more than 40 steps from fibre dyeing to spinning the yarn, warping, weaving and various finishing techniques.
like tradtionally done, everything from fibre to finished cloth happens here under one roof.
as wool is a protein fibre, vibrant colours can be achieved. however, the dyeing recipes are deeply researched, require many years of knowledge and are therefore highly secret.
for our series 2, we use a lighter weight so-called ‘fine loden’ and a heavier weight ‘himalayaloden’.
although the fine loden fabric is lightweight, it is heat-insulating, hard-wearing, crease-resistant and unpleasant odours can be easily removed by hanging it in the fresh air.
it is dense and grippy right from the start and develops an even more beautiful, tactile surface as it is worn.
the combination of virgin merino wool and alpaca gives the himalayaloden a luxurious hand feel with an elegant drape. however, being on the heavier side and with its high density, it does not compromise on robustness.
the himalayaloden also has a natural water-repellent character, as it has a tile arrangement with different hair directions.
this is the result of a historical finishing process that is still practised today, here the fabric runs through a natural thistle nap machine in one of the finale steps.
as with the fine loden, the himalayaloden fabric surface comes alive as you move through time and space.
26.09.2023
right from the start of our research process for series 2, it was clear that the history of this simple yet complex woolen fabric called ‘loden’ would play an important role.
thinking about the seasonal trancehumans, where shepherds move their livestock from one grazing ground to another, typically to lowlands in winter and highlands in summer, we imagined the life, movements and demands it has meant and still means for these people in the past and present.
the historical loden fabric was initally handwoven by peasant families in their homes. typically everything from shearing the animal, spinning the yarn to weaving and finishing the cloth happened under one roof.
after weaving, the cloth goes into a 30-40 degree warm soapy bath. it also runs through a compression machine which presses the fabric.
these finishing steps make the fabric shrink significantly, but it also becomes thicker, more dense and durable.
this hardwearing structure was perfect for farmers to both work in the fields, but also to be prepared against all weather conditions.
the lore goes that emperor franz joseph, who had spent his summers in bad ischl since childhood, had a fondness for the simple clothing of the local rural population and liked to dress in traditional loden during his summer holidays. his followers did the same. as a result, loden went from being purely work clothing to the material suitable for festive occasions that it still is today.
the images document our visit to this 5th generation weaving mill, which was founded in 1884. here fine mulesing-free australian wool fibres are used to create these luxurious hard wearing woolen fabrics.
the production process from fibre to finished cloth involves more than 40 steps from fibre dyeing to spinning the yarn, warping, weaving and various finishing techniques.
like tradtionally done, everything from fibre to finished cloth happens here under one roof.
as wool is a protein fibre, vibrant colours can be achieved. however, the dyeing recipes are deeply researched, require many years of knowledge and are therefore highly secret.
for our series 2, we use a lighter weight so-called ‘fine loden’ and a heavier weight ‘himalayaloden’.
although the fine loden fabric is lightweight, it is heat-insulating, hard-wearing, crease-resistant and unpleasant odours can be easily removed by hanging it in the fresh air.
it is dense and grippy right from the start and develops an even more beautiful, tactile surface as it is worn.
the combination of virgin merino wool and alpaca gives the himalayaloden a luxurious hand feel with an elegant drape. however, being on the heavier side and with its high density, it does not compromise on robustness.
the himalayaloden also has a natural water-repellent character, as it has a tile arrangement with different hair directions.
this is the result of a historical finishing process that is still practised today, here the fabric runs through a natural thistle nap machine in one of the finale steps.
as with the fine loden, the himalayaloden fabric surface comes alive as you move through time and space.