Her Royal Highness Princess Anne has concluded her New Zealand visit with a private behind-the-scenes tour of New Zealand fashion house Untouched World on Friday afternoon, in Christchurch.
Her Royal Highness has been president of the UK Fashion and Textile Association for 35 years and is a long-time advocate of sustainability in the fashion industry.
She was accompanied around the Untouched World workrooms and retail space by her husband Sir Timothy Laurence, along with Untouched World staff and members of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Defence Force personnel, and Police.
“A lot of people worked hard to make the visit happen for Her Royal Highness, and we are very grateful to them all. The preparation and security detailing was comprehensive”, says Untouched World Founder and CEO Peri Drysdale.
Several weeks of calls, visits, official briefing papers and meetings preceded the visit, which lasted 80 minutes.
Helicopters, followed by a fleet of vehicles descended on Untouched World in Christchurch, on Friday afternoon. At all times security staff moved ahead of, and behind, the royal party, with vehicles on the outside of the building moving in sequence with their whereabouts inside.
Once inside, the behind-the-scenes tour was a ‘farm-to-garment’ look at the way Untouched World clothing is made using unique technology in a zero-waste environment. Regenerative farming practices were showcased by farmers from Canterbury’s Glenthorne Station, where Untouched World sources most of their finest merino. Her Royal Highness Princess Anne commented on the premium quality of the wool, and remarked on the challenge of obtaining such standards in the UK due to the different climate. From there, staff talked through the process of how the wool is responsibly made into premium garments. Her Royal Highness Princess Anne was also shown how the company has deployed technology to innovate; she witnessed 3D knitting in progress and was introduced to the company’s software programmer and designers.
“Her Royal Highness is very down to earth, knowledgeable, intelligent and truly engages with everyone she meets. She mentioned that she has a much loved ‘black and fluffy’ Untouched World garment which was nice to hear.
“She has a keen interest in sustainability and remarked on how early we were in developing a sustainable business model (back in 1998). She is also fascinated by wool and fibres and was particularly curious about the research and development taking place” says Mrs Drysdale.
Mrs Drysdale also talked with Her Royal Highness about a research and development project she worked on with His Royal Highness King Charles;
“In 2014 I was advised by Charles Craven, Estate Manager to then His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, that King Charles was inspired by what we were doing with possum fibre, and he wondered if the same could be done with grey squirrel fur. Like possums, the grey squirrels in the UK pose a serious threat to nesting birds and native trees. We researched and tested the material that he sent to us, and while our conclusion was that the hair was too short to work with, we were impressed by his interest and delighted to receive a personal letter from him acknowledging that work.”
The Royal connection doesn’t end there, it goes back to 1995 with Her Royal Highness, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“It was back in the earlier days of our business” Mrs Drysdale says, “that we were asked to make garments for a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. Apparently, someone at Government House gave the Queen our catalogue, and before we knew it, we were sending clothing to Buckingham Palace.”
Mrs Drysdale first met Her Royal Highness Princess Anne back in 2003 at a Commonwealth Study Conference, and says she was honoured on this occasion to have the opportunity to host her and husband, Sir Timothy Lawrence at Untouched World. The couple were gifted with garments chosen in collaboration with the Princess Royal’s official dresser. Her Royal Highness Princess Anne received a luxurious wrap made from Untouched World’s exclusive super soft Kapua blend of pill-resistant Cashmere, premium possum, and Mulberry silk. A zip shirt made from locally sourced fine machine washable merino was also given to HRH Princess Anne, with her love of the outdoors in mind. For Sir Tim there was a sweater made from Cassum, another of the company’s signature blends, along with co-ordinating gloves and a hat.
Fleur Skinner, 17 February 2023