From High Country to Your Wardrobe: The icebreaker Merino Wool Story

July, 2025 | icebreaker

Discover how NZ merino wool goes from rugged high-country stations to performance apparel. Meet the growers behind icebreaker's natural fibres and learn why merino outperforms synthetics.

Why Merino? Nature’s Performance Fibre

Merino wool is nature’s original high-performance fabric:

✅ Temperature Regulating - Keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer
✅ Naturally Odor-Resistant - Wear for 7+ days without washing
✅ Biodegradable - Breaks down in 1-5 years vs. polyester's 200+ years
✅ Renewable - Sheep grow a new fleece every year

"Merino adapts to your body in ways synthetics simply can't. It's why I wear it for everything from summit pushes to coffee runs." - Emma, an icebreaker lover

Meet the Growers: Guardians of the Land

In 1997, we revolutionised industry standards by establishing the world's first long-term contracts with select merino growers.

Things evolved in 2018 when we partnered with The New Zealand Merino Company to create the 'Growers Club', unprecedented 10-year rolling contracts that provide security for farmers while ensuring consistent, merino wool fibres for our collections.

As of 2024, 67 dedicated New Zealand stations are part of the Growers Club.

The Subtils - Omarama Station

A typical icebreaker merino station is about 40,000 acres and supports around 15,000 merino sheep. Our growers are committed to strict animal welfare codes and have appropriate strategies to protect and enhance the natural environment that they work on.

- Water conservation techniques for drought resilience
- Native planting programs to restore biodiversity
- 10-year contracts ensuring fair prices

“Living on the farm, it seems so simple to us. We're super lucky we have that direct connection to the land, and we see it, live it and breathe it every day. ZQRX allows us that authenticity and integrity to show that we're doing what we say we're doing. lt develops trust.”

Richard and Annabelle Subtil from Omarama Station

From Fleece to Fabric: The icebreaker Difference

1. Ethical Shearing - Stress-free handling, no mulesing
2. ZQ Certification - Highest standards for animal welfare
3. Ultrafine 15.5-Micron Merino Wool - Ultra-fine for next-to-skin softness
4. Plastic-Free Processing - 97.5% of fabrics in our 2024 collection are plastic free

Did You Know? Our merino is 3x more durable than conventional wool while being 50% lighter than cotton.

The Grower's Calendar

Spring (Sep-Nov)
● Lambs born
● Pasture rotation begins

Summer (Dec-Feb)
● Sheep graze alpine grasses
● Fleece grows thick and healthy

Autumn (Mar-May)
● Ethical shearing
● Wool sorted by micron count

Winter (Jun-Aug)
● Animals sheltered in valleys
● Land rests and regenerates

Why This Matters

Choosing icebreaker supports:

Regenerative farming that sequesters carbon
Highest animal welfare standards
Multi-generational farming families
No microplastic pollution

"When you buy an icebreaker garment, you're part of this story." - Jeremy Moon, Founder of icebreaker