Held annually for the last eighteen years, Loro Piana’s Record Bale competition serves to recognise the efforts of the most elevated wool producers in the world.

The centre for the competition is Australia and New Zealand, where the world’s finest merino wool has been sourced for time immemorial and its focus is to inspire these breeders to produce an ever-finer grade of wool year-upon-year. Thanks to Loro Piana’s efforts, the competition has continually challenged the notion that wool is both an antiquated and uneconomical material, and has furthermore pushed the boundaries of what a fine wool fabric can be.

The winning ‘record bale’ of this year marks yet another a global first; the finest micronage of pure merino wool ever produced. First prize goes to the Australian farm Pyrenees Park, owned by Pamela and Robert Sandlant, who have surpassed their own previous win just last year, gathering an immaculate bale of wool measuring 10.3 microns in fineness.

The product of New Zealand based producer Anna Emmerson, who entered a bale measuring 10.6 microns, came a close second.