It’s no secret that Aotearoa is home to a variety of talented knitwear brands, but here’s one that definitely deserves a spot on your radar.
Established in 2013 by founder Christina Grant, Perriam is based in the idyllic village of Tarras in the South Island of Aotearoa. Born to a mother and father who owned a sheep station and wool shop in the region, Grant’s love affair with merino dates back as early as childhood, which ultimately led her to follow in their footsteps by founding her own luxury knitwear label.
About the Perriam spring/summer collection
This week, the brand unveiled their latest collection for Spring/Summer 23/24 in what is their first ever collaboration with artist and designer Meg Gallagher, whose talents have seen her work in Australia for the likes of Camilla & Marc and Ksubi. With Gallagher helping to guide the direction of the collection, this range draws its tonal inspiration from the idyllic Central Otago landscape which Grant grew up in, featuring a delightfully earthy palette of warm nutmeg, sand, pine and hazelnut.
Designed with timelessness and durability in mind, the collection champions a variety of fabrics and silhouettes, including the transeasonal Ultrafine Merino, and the soon-to-be-released Merino Cotton blend seen in crew and v-neck sweaters, collared jerseys, classic t-shirts and tanks. Moving into summer, there will also be several maxi and midi dress styles arriving in lightweight fabrications accompanied by an effortlessly-cool linen suit set that invites year round versatility. Ideal pieces to be worn alone or layered together, each style is crafted to encourage the wearer to pause and feel the fabric, savouring the tactile beauty that natural fibres and quality craftsmanship bring to the clothing.
Perriam's guide to caring for your knitwear
While the sun shines brighter during the day, the early mornings and late evenings often leave us feeling a little chilly during the spring season, reminding us not to retire our woolly layers just yet. Merino, with its exceptional ability to adapt to varying body temperatures, is therefore the perfect fibre to invest in during the warmer months – a fact well understood by local knitwear brand, Perriam.
Below, they share their expert tips:
- To remove odours, leave woollen garments outside. They love sunshine and fresh air – just like us.
- Moth holes happen because wool and other animal fibres contain keratin, which clothes worms love to eat. Be sure to clean your knitwear before you put it away as moths can be attracted to food stains and moisture.
- Moths also hate lavender, so consider storing your knits with a bag of dried lavender.
- Pilling is a natural process that can be hard to prevent, caused simply by the rubbing of fibres in a garment. To help prevent it, when you wash your knits, make sure they are inside-out, and don’t use fabric softener. Running a cool iron over a woollen garment after it has been washed and dried can also help smooth the fibres. When pilling does occur, remove pills with a sweater stone.
- When pilling occurs it isn’t an indication of low quality, it occurs because of the superior softness of the fibres used.
- Brushing wool with a clothes brush can shake out dirt and dust that dulls its appearance.
