A Richly Coloured Craft – The Undyed Collection by Pampa

The Undyed Collection from Pampa celebrates wool in its purest state, with a range of rugs, runners and cushions that look just as natural as the processes with which they were made.

The newest collection from Pampa does not stray from the design brand’s usual approach, but rather digs down deeper into its ethos of traditional and natural practices. The process of making this collection begins in regional and remote Argentina with the care of the sheep whose wool is used. After shearing, the wool is lightly washed and spun by hand. It is left undyed to showcase the rich, natural tones of the wool, then woven on a loom by practiced artisans.

The natural lanolin that remains within the wool gives it warmth, softness and durability. These one-of-a-kind pieces emanate earthiness in colour, texture and tone. The texture on show within The Undyed Collection is tactile. These rugs are naturally soft and possess the gentle, varied lumps and bumps inherent in hand-spun wool. This texture has an aesthetic impact too. Organic variation across the woven surface of each piece, along with the smooth creams, the warm, toasty browns, and the dusty greys of the undyed wool, create visual rhythm and harmony. There is a sense of life to these pieces.

The techniques employed to create The Undyed Collection are steeped in generation’s worth of life within the weaving communities of Argentina and South America. Pampa was founded in 2013 by Victoria and Carl, two photographers, one from Argentina, the other from Australia. The pair have instilled Pampa with a sense of duality – “two worlds, two visions, two cultures”. The brand is based in Byron Bay, where its design studio and flagship store reside. The third owner and Manager of Production – Manuel Aguirre, Victoria’s brother – works from Argentina, engaging directly with weaving communities to create fair-trade, sustainable homewares. This engagement keeps weaving practices alive within Argentinian communities, protecting these otherwise fading traditions for the next generation.

The Undyed Collection is a logical progression for a brand that uses 100% natural materials, such as wool, chaguar and leather and has included reforestation initiatives within its business model (with up to five trees planted for every Pampa piece sold). The collection strips materials down to their barest form, honouring the raw beauty ever present within the natural world. The Undyed Collection proves that within a world of technology and innovation, there is room for, and indeed much pleasure and value to be found within, the slow and the simple.

These one-of-a-kind pieces emanate earthiness in colour, texture and tone.