We are a slow fashion brand
High quality materials, excellent craftsmanship and the humane treatment animals are the cornerstone of our business. Our 100% boiled wool is made in Austria with hydro energy. We use non toxic dyes. Everything in our Montaba atelier is handcrafted.
(Updated December 2025)
Why 100% new wool?
The original performance fabric
Wool provides excellent thermal insulation. It helps regulate body temperature by trapping air and retaining heat, which makes it suitable for both cold and warm weather.
Temperature Regulating
Boiled wool is known for its excellent insulation properties, keeping the wearer warm in cold weather conditions. It absorbs moisture away from the skin without feeling wet. This wicking ability keeps you dry and comfortable by managing sweat and moisture.
Odor Resistance
Wool has natural anti-microbial properties that help reduce the growth of odor-causing bacteria. This means wool garments often stay fresher for longer, even after extended wear.
Splash Resistance
Boiled wool has natural water-repellent properties, making it resistant to light rain and moisture.
Durability
Boiled wool is durable and resilient, able to withstand wear and tear over time.
Kind to Mother Earth
Wool is a renewable resource. It’s biodegradable and has a lower environmental impact compared to synthetic fibers, which are derived from petroleum-based sources.
Softness
Boiled wool is often soft to the touch, providing comfort when worn.
Wrinkle Resistance
Boiled wool tends to resist wrinkling, maintaining its shape and appearance even after extended wear.
Flame Resistance
Wool is naturally flame-resistant. It doesn’t ignite easily and can self-extinguish if exposed to flames, adding a safety benefit to woolen garments and products.
“There is a major disconnect between what we wear and our knowledge of its impact on land, air, water, labor, and human health. Even those who value access to safe, local, nutritious food have largely overlooked the production of fiber, dyes, and the chemistry that forms the backbone of modern textile production. While humans are 100 percent reliant on their second skin, it’s common to think little about the biological and human cultural context from which our clothing derives.”
— Rebecca Burgess
Author of “Fibershed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy”
Happy Sheep
The sheep
There are ethical concerns regarding the treatment of sheep in some farming practices. We only work with sheep farmers that can prove good living conditions, access to adequate food and water, and proper handling during shearing.
Shearing
Once or twice a year, depending on the breed , sheep are sheared. Shearing is done by skilled shearers who carefully remove the fleece from the sheep using electric clippers or manual shears. Shearing is an essential part of sheep management as it helps keep the sheep healthy.
Sorting and Grading
After shearing, the wool is sorted and graded based on factors such as fineness, length, color, and cleanliness. This process ensures that wool of similar quality is grouped together, which is important for maintaining consistency in the final product.
Wool Source
Our boiled wool fabric is made with wool of the Tyrolean rock sheep, Tyrolean mountain sheep, Swiss Jura Sheep, Swedish Gotland sheep, German Coburg Fox Sheep, Shetland Sheep, Alpaca Sheep, Himalayan Yak, Merino Sheep.
Fabric production is powered by hydro energy
In the summer of 2023, Daniela visited the family-owned and operated wool mill where we buy our boiled wool. She wanted to see for herself what the mill is like.
“Nestled in an Austrian valley — just like ours — sits this factory, powered by hydro energy. The river produces power for its people and businesses. I got a tour through the factory. I wanted to see the machines in action, watch the workers make the material. Walking into the factory, I got a sense of competence and knowledge. Everyone had their station, they chat with each other. It seemed like they are a big family of about 50 workers. So yeah. I felt really good knowing that our fabric is produced under these positive circumstances as well as clean and productive environment. No wired smells.”
How is boiled wool made?
Processing
The sorted wool is cleaned to remove impurities such as dirt, grease (lanolin), and vegetable matter (like bits of hay or grass). This cleaning process, known as scouring, may involve washing the wool with water and soap. After scouring, the wool is dried and further processed to align the fibers and prepare them for spinning.
Spinning
The cleaned and prepared wool fibers are spun into yarn using spinning machines. During spinning, the fibers are twisted together to create yarn of the desired thickness and strength. The type of spinning method used (e.g., worsted or woolen spinning) can affect the characteristics of the final yarn.
Knitting or Weaving
For boiled wool production, the fabric is knitted using special techniques that create a dense, felted texture. This dense fabric is then subjected to a process called fulling or boiling.
Fulling/Boiling
Fulling or boiling is the key step in producing boiled wool. The knitted fabric is agitated in hot water and subjected to heat, friction, and pressure, causing the fibers to shrink and the fabric to become denser and more compact. This process results in a felted fabric with unique properties, including increased warmth, water resistance, and durability.
Finishing
After fulling, the boiled wool fabric may undergo additional finishing processes such as drying, stretching, and pressing to achieve the desired texture, thickness, and appearance. It may also be dyed or treated with special finishes for added functionality or aesthetic appeal.
Quality Control
Throughout the production process, quality control measures are implemented to ensure that the final boiled wool fabric meets the desired standards for texture, appearance, performance, and sustainability.
The wool we use is GOTS certified.