About

 

 

 

  



 

Wol Hide creates easy wear for living in. Each piece is created with quality production focused on the craft of knitting, subtle details and textural elements. We use natural, organic and deadstock materials as much as possible with minimal dyeing or chemical processing, choosing fibers for how they wear on us and on the environment.

Started and run in Philadelphia by Leah D'Ambrosio who designs with a holistic approach. There is a thoughtful process behind each piece for how it will affect the environment, how it will interact with the wearer and how to make it garment that you want to keep forever.

We believe that to be a truly sustainable business, this means not only caring about the environment but to also care about people's lives. Those who are directly involved with our business as well as those who aren't. We vow to do our best as a business to make change for the better in this industry.

 

  

 MATERIALS

Alpaca - we use a lot of alpaca in our sweaters. It's an extremely sustainable fiber. Alpacas themselves are much gentler on the earth than other animals. The animals come in so many natural colors so you can achieve beautiful color without dyes. The fiber is extremely durable, soft and incredibly insulating.

Pima Cotton - the fibers in Pima are longer than most other cottons, creating a very soft and finer fiber.

Color Grown Cotton - Cotton used to grow in several shades of tan, brown and green. These breeds originated from the Andes and were almost lost due to large commercial farming choosing to only breed the white cotton we know today. There are small farmers trying to bring back this heritage breed and we are so happy to have found a company in Peru who makes a soft, organic yarn from this cotton.

Deadstock yarns - deadstock yarns are factory waste, they are unused materials from overproduction. Since we are a small company, we're able to take advantage of this and use up some of the waste. We don't believe that using any waste yarn is ok, we are still as selective as with new materials regarding the fiber content.

Organic Cotton - Our cut & sew Easy pieces are made with a 100% organic cotton that is grown, processed, knit and sewn in the USA. The processing of the fabric is done sustainably, using low impact dyes and plant derived alternatives to harsh chemicals. The processing is all done in a circular system that recycles, reuses and treats any waste water. 

PRODUCTION

Our sweaters are made in Peru. We work with a small family run factory for our industrial machine knitting. Their quality is impeccable both on technical machine work and with their detailed hand finishing work.

We also work with a small artisan collaborative for handknit and hand-loomed pieces. The knitters are able to work from home so they can earn a living while still caring for their families. With them, we've been able to figure out how to use deadstock waste yarns, using up quality resources that would otherwise be discarded.

Cut & sew Easy pieces are made in Pennsylvania. We work with another small family run factory who offers fair jobs to their community.

Natural Dyes - We work with a small woman owned natural dye house close to our studio and factory in Pennsylvania. They use rain water for a lot of their washing processes and non toxic mineral mordants for the plant dyes.

 

 

 

 




 

 

 

PAST COLLABORATIONS 

 

Handknit Socks collaboration with Minna

Sara, the founder and designer of Minna and I put our textile heads together to design these hand knit socks as a special holiday release. They are made out of 100% Alpaca that has been hand dyed with natural dyes.

 

Throw collaboration with The Dogwood Dyer

 

 

 

She works in her Southern California studio using locally grown and foraged plants as well as ethically sourced dyestuffs, she aids in creating sustainable garments to be cherished. Unlike synthetic dyes that make up the vast majority of color seen today on clothing, The Dogwood Dyer's natural dyestuffs are made up of only plants & minerals that come from the earth with no laboratory or factory derived chemicals. To further reduce environmental impact of the process, water is minimally consumed with 80 percent of the refuse water recycled back into her gardens.  

 

 

Sweatshirt sweater made in New York with yarn from Sally Fox

 

 

  
A pioneer in growing and breeding high quality organic and color grown cotton. Her classical breeding program began in 1982 with a desire to produce a high quality fiber and enhance the natural beauty and color of cotton. The color and softness of the yarn reflects her years of work and determination.