Trends: Autumn Winter Return Of The Sheepskin

17 June 2010

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‘Shear’ delight as sheepskin shines at fashion showcase

Fleece became fashionable when Welsh designer Angharad Probert revealed her latest collection last week. Dramatic sheepskin coats and mohawk-like hats gave the 22-year-old designer’s womenswear range a unique look as the she showed just how desirable the product so closely associated with her homeland could be.

 "Sheepskin is really underrated," Angharad said shortly after she showcased her work at Graduate Fashion Week. "Designers tend to plump for material that is seen as more luxurious, but I wanted to show that you can create amazing garments with sheep by-products."

The young designer from Pontyclun near Cardiff sourced her skins from a tannery in Somerset. She spent a week in the West Country supervising the dip-dying of the material and, while she didn’t quite shear the animals herself, she did use farmers’ clippers to etch shadowy silhouettes into the sheepskins that were used to make her knee-length coats.

Her collection, which also consisted of slim-legged leather trousers, sheer silk-chiffon vests and waxed cotton waistcoats, was based on the idea of being watched. The figures shaved into the shaggy coats hint at the eeriness of constant surveillance and the unusual outlines of her dark outfits emphasise this sense of unease.

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