Masterweave

Masterweave is located in the famed Wairarapa farming region of New Zealand and is the country’s only specialist Mohair weaving facility. Owners Philippa and Lindsay Cairns have over thirty years of experience with Mohair, and purchased a small weaving facility in 1989, following many years of farming. Lindsay and Philippa’s family farm ‘Windermere’ was among the early pioneers in New Zealand to farm luxury fibre animals such as Angora goats, Cashgora and cashmere. During his travels Lindsay observed a centuries old brushing technique for knitwear using the dried teasels from the thistle plant. Being an innovator, Lindsay then devised a process and developed a machine utilising the thistles. This proprietary process is Masterweave’s secret to whipping up a luxurious light downy finish to their brushed Mohair products. Today the ‘Windermere’ label is sold through high end specialty stores in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the U.S.A. High end throws in Alpaca are also made and sold under the ‘Windermere’ label.    Masterweave was commissioned to weave bench blankets for the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team. Masterweave was also called on to weave period blankets for the NZ film River Queen. Masterweave was commissioned by Peter Jackson, director of Lord of The Rings movie trilogy (who has a home nearby), to develop fabrics that could accommodate the special effects used in the films. These fabrics were used on the costumes for the Oscar winning movies.