The Art of Wool – Savile Row Marks Fifteen Years of the Campaign for Wool

There are few streets in the world where heritage breathes quite as effortlessly as it does on Savile Row. A place where history is sewn into every stitch and where craftsmanship has long been a quiet rebellion against mass production. This autumn, the Row adds another chapter to its story as it joins the fifteenth anniversary of the Campaign for Wool, an initiative founded by His Majesty King Charles III to champion one of nature’s most remarkable fibres.

Photo Credits: Jack Hall/PA Media Assignments 

When the campaign first began in 2010, the then Prince of Wales transformed Savile Row into a grazing pasture filled with fifty sheep. It was a whimsical moment that perfectly captured the meeting of tradition and sustainability, a reminder that every elegant suit begins in the field. Fifteen years later, the campaign returns to its spiritual home, not with sheep this time, but with a spectacle of woollen artistry that runs through every tailor’s window.

From Henry Poole & Co. to Huntsman, the great houses of Savile Row have unveiled displays that celebrate wool in all its textures and tones. Henry Poole has reintroduced the Lonsdale Check, a cloth that pays homage to the Fifth Earl of Lonsdale whose signature tweed has been faithfully recreated with the same mill, more than a century later. Gieves & Hawkes brings the rugged beauty of the Highlands to London with coats and jackets woven from Glenlyon Tweed, a fabric crafted by master weavers whose lineage stretches back to the 1800s. Anderson & Sheppard continues to push boundaries with its circular House Special Tweed, an initiative that reimagines waste into something beautifully bespoke.

For the more daring eye, clothsurgeon presents a piece of royal inspiration – a bomber jacket crafted from wool bunting that once adorned the streets during the King’s Coronation. It is a design that fuses heritage with edge, a symbolic nod to the past stitched firmly into the present. Huntsman meanwhile showcases its Autumn Winter tailoring crafted from British wools with a low carbon footprint, a subtle yet powerful statement on what sustainability can look like when executed with elegance.

There are quieter triumphs too. Holland & Sherry honours the journey from fibre to fabric with a series of live demonstrations, bringing Welsh sheep breeders and hand-weavers to the Row to share their craft. JP Hackett adds a celebratory touch with a limited-edition coat made from SpringRam Cheviot wool, produced in just fifteen pieces to mark fifteen years of the campaign. Each display is a conversation in itself, a dialogue between the past and the future of British tailoring.

Photo Credits: Jack Hall/PA Media Assignments 

Peter Ackroyd, Chairman of the Campaign for Wool, captures the sentiment best when he reflects on the enduring partnership between the campaign and Savile Row. From the moment sheep first grazed the Row in 2010 to the present day, tailors both established and emerging have continued to prove that wool is not simply a material but a medium for storytelling. Their work travels from these London workshops to the wardrobes of the world, carrying with it the integrity of natural fibre and the quiet defiance of slow fashion.

Jenny Casebourne, Property Director of The Pollen Estate, echoes this pride, describing the exhibition as a celebration of wool’s elegance, craftsmanship, and environmental conscience. As custodians of Savile Row, The Pollen Estate has helped preserve its legacy while ensuring it continues to move forward with relevance and responsibility.

Photo Credits: Jack Hall/PA Media Assignments 

Running from Monday 13 October to Thursday 31 October, this public exhibition invites visitors to wander the Row and experience the artistry of wool firsthand. Each window becomes a reflection of the tailor within, each piece a story of dedication, patience, and mastery.

Fifteen years on, the Campaign for Wool remains a movement rooted in purpose – to remind the world that the most modern fabric is also one of the oldest. On Savile Row, that message is not just spoken. It is tailored, displayed, and proudly worn.

Photo Credits: Jack Hall/PA Media Assignments