Why Izzy’s busy being woolly (From The Northern Echo)

Why Izzy’s busy being woolly

2:19pm Tuesday 6th September 2011 in Echo Woman

A flock of 600 and a clothing line which has been picked up by Topshop are the results of Isobel Davies’s decision to save unwanted sheep.

THREE premium coats using British ethical wool produced by Izzy Lane of Richmond, North Yorkshire, went on sale yesterday in the major high street trader, Topshop, to coincide with the launch of Wool Week.

Izzy Lane, which was launched by Isobel Davies in 2007, produces wool made from her own flocks of threatened historic breed sheep which have been saved from slaughter and live on her sanctuary in the Yorkshire Dales.

These Shetland and Wensleydale sheep are primitive breeds which were introduced to the Shetland Isles more than 1,000 years ago and produce a very fine wool.

More than 100 knitters are kept busy by Izzy Lane’s ethical fashion range of knitwear, skirts, jackets and coats – there are shoes and handbags as well – plus 51 spinners in Calderdale, Bradford’s last dye house, Britain’s only mother-of-pearl button maker and a 100-year-old woollen mill in Selkirk.

“In the supermarket, you see all kinds of labels and stamps on things like meat, showing it has been produced ethically. I don’t see why we can’t do the same for wool,” says Isobel.

The businesswoman says she’s delighted to be working in collaboration with Topshop which has recognised her passion for trying to revive and support the British textile industry.

“My main interest is the revival of wool, one of our most sustainable resources, and of course, the championing of animal welfare issues. The Izzy Lane for Topshop range is the ultimate in authenticity, from the nurture of the sheep through to the finished pieces,” says Isobel.

Topshop has chosen three cloths from her range and used them to produce three classically British coats with a twist.

A feminine skirted coat comes with a detachable black faux fur collar (£250) in checked tweed, while a collarless beige crombie with a faux leather trim (£195) comes in an untreated woven wool.

Finally, an oversized traditional crombie in black woven wool (£220) has a collar with a contrasting colour on the reverse.

“We’re delighted to be using Izzy Lane British wool to produce three coats for the coming season,” says Jacqui Markham, design director at Topshop. “At Topshop we are always looking for new ethical manufacturers and fabrics to work with, for example on the Fairtrade denim line currently in stores. With Wool Week upon us, this partnership made perfect sense. Izzy Lane wool is perfect for those with a love of luxury as well as a social conscience.”

Sadly, British fleece is normally burnt because foreign imports are cheaper Isobel, who became a vegetarian at the age of 17, spent time in London and France as a singer-songwriter before establishing an organic vegetable scheme, Farmaround. Eight years ago she moved to Richmond and set up another branch of Farmaround in North Yorkshire. It was her decision to save unwanted sheep that sparked the Izzy Lane clothing label.

Before long Isobel was also marketing coats and jackets manufactured in Wales and skirts from the Lake District. Currently, there is a made-tomeasure service on offer for the skirts, which are designed from super-fine fleece from rare Shetland sheep.

Isobel saves sheep heading for the abattoir because they are male, too small, too old, barren or slightly lame. She started with four in 2002 and now has more than 600.

“It’s a bit of a responsibility, having this many sheep,” she says.

“Some of them live until they are about 20 or more. The vet bills are enormous.”

Her clothes have been featured in London Fashion Week and model Lily Cole is a fan.

“Buying from us means that you are saving sheep and supporting British industry. People have got so used to cheap clothes, but it’s not necessarily a good thing,” she adds.

To buy or view the current Izzy Lane range visit izzylane.com. The coats are also available online at topshop.co.uk

• Pull of the wool: See Saturday’s Weekend magazine in The Northern Echo.

Toddlers and tots with taste

WHAT do you get if you take a group of children, a kitchen and a whole lot of food? A mess, perhaps? Not with Darlington mum Emma Holmes in charge…

Emma was keen to find an activity for her own two children based around food and cooking, and unable to find what she was looking for was inspired to set up a new business that’s been nominated for a National Award.

Kiddy Cook provides unique cooking sessions exclusively designed for children aged four to 11 to encourage them to learn about “good” food and to explore new flavours in an educational and fun way.

“Jack (four) and Maggie (two) love cooking. It’s a chance to get stuck in and get messy, and of course, they get to lick the bowl,” says 31-yearold Emma.

Children who cook in the Kiddy Cook kitchen don’t just get to make a cake – they get to conduct a “volcano” experiment to learn how carbon dioxide works to make their cakes and biscuits rise; they learn the difference between taste and flavour and think about the effect sound has on their ability to eat.

For those with younger children, CookieTots is a group activity for toddlers aged two to four years.

Parents and carers help their children to create easy-to-follow recipes and then join in with music, games and activities based around preparing and enjoying food.

The classes promote healthy eating and food awareness whilst building confidence and encouraging independence.

Different recipes give the children a chance to explore their senses and express their creativity and they get to take home what they’ve made.

“If we encourage our children to help out in the kitchen, they’re more likely to try the results” says Emma.

“And if we can encourage our children to try healthy food, then we can change the way they eat for life as well as giving them skills they can use again and again.”

• For details of classes contact Emma on 07870-188-128, email darlington@kiddycook.co.uk or visit kiddycook.co.uk.