Guðrun & Guðrun:deeply rooted in the Faroe Islands

By Trine Ejlskov Jensen-Martin

Slow-fashion design label Guðrun & Guðrun is returning to where it all started. With a new collection which blends its tried and tested techniques in open-knit mohair pieces with local yarn, the brand is introducing a different way of using unique Faroe Island wool, a natural material that reflects the colours and textures of the island’s landscapes.

The well-known Faroese knitwear and home-design brand released its latest AW24 collection in July. After significant global exposure and success, founders and owners Guðrun Rógvadóttir and Guðrun Ludvig are back to where it all began.

At the very heart of Guðrun & Guðrun lies a belief in integrity and decency, and a passion for sustainability and creating high-quality knitwear, something the owners have never veered away from. They are at the forefront of conscious consumerism in an industry that often prioritises quantity and a lower price tag over quality and ethical production. It is crucial to both Rógvadóttir and Ludvig that they know where all their materials come from, but also that they know the women who handknit their sweaters.

Guðrun & Guðrun:deeply rooted in the Faroe Islands

The sheep native to the Faroe Islands come in many shades of cream, brown and grey. Photo: guðrun & guðrun

The gold of the Faroe Islands

There is an old Faroese saying about the preciousness of the local wool, ull er føroya gull, which translates as wool is Faroe gold. Knitting and wool are intrinsic parts of the culture of the islands, and with good reason. Wool was the most valuable and only raw material besides fish. It’s thick enough to keep you warm during the winter months, and breathable to keep you cool during summer, as well as being water repellent. For islands like these with such varied weather, this seems almost priceless, then as now.

“We’re experimenting in our new collection, incorporating the coarse, colourful Faroese yarn with the softer, white alpaca yarn,” says Rógvadóttir. Central to the latest collection is the distinctive wool from local Faroese sheep, a breed that is only found here. The different textures and colours create a distinctive expression in the knitwear, with evident roots connected to the local culture and nature.

Sheep wool in different natural shades. Photo: guðrun & guðrun

Guðrun & Guðrun is a brand well-known for the way in which it uses mohair in open-knit designs and using the same techniques it is now experimenting with introducing local yarn as an alternative. “When knitting with the Faroese yarn, it’s almost like having a nourishing treatment for your hands because of the high lanolin content in the wool,” Rógvadóttir explains. Even though the wool is much coarser it’s not difficult to work with, quite the contrary. “The sheep here live in the mountains all year round, so when you smell the yarn, it has this really fresh and unique scent,” she continues. The high lanolin content makes the knitwear water-repellent, and unlike other wool which can carry a sheep-like odour, you can almost smell the crisp mountain air in the yarn.

“Faroese yarn is unique, and the sheep are only bred here” Rógvadóttir continues. The sheep on the islands are distinctive from other sheep in the colour of the skin and texture of the wool. Their skins are spotted so the wool comes naturally in different shades of browns, creams and greys, which means that Guðrun & Guðrun can use natural yarns without any chemicals.

The whole process is very much in-house and local, where they shear the sheep and with their own hands create yarn from the wool. “We all help with the shearing of the animals,” Rógvadóttir says. “It’s a team effort, and we all take part.” Every year she returns to the family farm to help with the shearing, which is a 30-man job and labour intensive so friends and family all come together to help.

The Javnág rug. Photo: Beinta av Torkilsheyggi

The Javnvág rug

Last year saw Guðrun & Guðrun expand its collection to incorporate homeware, including the striking Orca chair. The brand has also released its first rug, Javnvág, which means grounded or balanced. “No one has ever done this before,” Rógvadóttir says and explains that many producers were initially reluctant, as the wool is rougher and coarser. But you need this roughness in wool for it to make a good and sturdy rug. “The coarseness of the wool can seem challenging, but it’s perfect for rugs, and you feel as if you get a foot massage when you walk on the material, as the coarseness works the soles of your feet,” she adds.

The owners are keen to expand the line of rugs, develop patterns and increase production. This will be done with the same decency, integrity and passion they so firmly believe in. And in the process also reminds us that the materials come from nature and each piece is made by hand.