Europe is home to 60 million sheep, producing 180 million kilograms of wool annually
- yet most of it goes unused.
As synthetic fibres took over the market, and Australian Merino became the global standard, the demand for local European wool collapsed, and with it, the systems that once connected regional producers to the fashion industry.
Erda Alpine was founded to change that.
Erda promotes the use of European wool in fashion by curating a portfolio of high-quality yarns that celebrate regional character, craftsmanship, and sustainability.
By fostering connection and collaboration between farmers, spinners, manufacturers, and brands, we are building a new ecosystem for local wool within the global fashion landscape.
Our goal is to create a transparent value chain that links the premium design industry with locally sourced, natural fibres.
The Founders
Erda Alpine was founded by Marlot te Kiefte and Inga Nemirovskaia, who met years ago while working together at Haider Ackermann. Between them they bring over fifteen years of experience at a range of designer and premium brands, from Alpha Tauri to Vetements, Ann Demeulemeester and Wales Bonner, across knitwear design, product development, merchandising, production, and brand management. Having spent careers specifying yarns, managing supply chains, and building collections from the ground up, they founded Erda Alpine to build the platform they felt was missing.
With Erda we aim to reconnect designers and brands with their supply chain, and show how local natural fibres can drive uniqueness in the product. How design from the material can drive sustainability, and whether innovation can mean returning to something already known.
Get in touch
To request yarn books or learn more about European wool.