Beauty is found in nature; true beauty. This is one of our beliefs at PERRIAM, and it really sums up how I feel. Beauty isn’t external; it comes from within.

It is natural. How people treat others; kindness, caring, and self-love. These are true beauty and are not external beauty. There is so much to celebrate in creating a beautiful garment from a merino sheep.

This majestic animal roams the high country year-round and has its fleece shorn once a year, which is then taken and cleaned, dyed and spun to create a super soft yarn that is then knitted and crafted by expert artisans right here in New Zealand. I don’t believe you can get any better or more beautiful than that, from growing the fibre right through to creating a beautiful garment that can be treasured forever. The ‘buy once, treasure forever’ ethos at the heart of Perriam inspires a sustainable, conscious way of living.

I grew up on Bendigo Station, a merino sheep property located in Central Otago. It was this upbringing and passion for the merino fibre that led me to create the Perriam brand. I live with my husband Callum and son Walter at Bendigo Station. I was inspired by my parent’s tenacity and drive and was compelled to continue the family’s passion for merino and my home. So in 2013, Perriam was born.

The heritage of my home at the station underpins our whole brand. It was here that my parents, Heather and John, helped pioneer New Zealand’s merino wool industry by farming merino and then crafting and selling merino products to tourists at their Tarras shop.

All our pieces are designed by myself and my team in Wānaka and made by the best manufacturers and craftspeople in New Zealand. We design collections for women, children, babies, and hand knitting yarns, chunky knits, and living products. Our focus is on carefully curated pieces that are designed to transcend trends; our timeless collections bring you understated classics to be loved and lived in, time and time again. Soft and subdued, our colour palette is layered in naturally neutral tones that evoke the raw and rich textures of my high-country home.

I believe it is important to choose garments that will make you feel good from within. There is no feeling quite like it when slipping on a beautifully tailored coat that fits like a glove and has been crafted by experts.

It gives you a certain confidence, and I believe that filling your wardrobe with beautiful one-off pieces that will last a lifetime is way more important than buying lots of fast fashion pieces.

We also believe in sharing the beauty of making things with your hands. So our knitting kits and luxury yarns made from pure merino mean you can create your own piece of Perriam to wear and love forever.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been drawn to the beauty and magic of merino. Its strong, super-soft fibres. Its honest, sustainable nature. Its knack for holding its shape. Merino wool was and still is my first true love.

Beauty is... by Christina Perriam