On my plane ride to Auckland I learned that New Zealand has about 4 million people and 44 million sheep. No wonder Wellington-based company Icebreaker has such an amazing collection of merino fiber garments. It was the first outdoor clothing company to develop a merino fiber layering system that now covers sustainable underwear, mid layer and outerwear. I love how the design of the eco-friendly garments is based on simple observations in nature.
The merino sheep is a perfect example of nature-based innovation. It lives high up in the Southern Alps of New Zealand where a lot of other species can’t survive. This led to its finer fibre wool that increases insulation for winter and breathability 
during summer. Usually the Merino sheep is shorn in summer leaving it with a thin layer before it bulks up again for winter. Now apply similar principles to humans and you get Icebreaker’s merino wool layering system that combines high-performance with sustainable style. A very knowledgeable sales person at the Icebreaker store in Auckland explained the design system to me. Basically all base and insulation layers come in different weights depending on their warmth so that each garment is labeled with a number. For example the L/S Chase Zip layer in the color belize/silver is part of their performance sports product line in lightweight 200. The bigger the number, the warmer you’ll be. It’s a really cool idea and I agree with Icebreaker’s philosophy: nature is the world’s best designer.
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