The document thanks various organizations for their work inspiring the photographs taken of mills in Biella, Italy that process New Zealand merino wool. Special thanks are given to Merino New Zealand Incorporated, The New Zealand Merino Company, and Meat & Wool New Zealand who sponsored the Biella Master of Noble Fibres Scholarship during which the photos were taken. The photos aim to provide insight into how New Zealand merino wool is crafted into luxury fiber products in Biella, known for its fine woolen and worsted textiles industry.

3. Thank you to the Biella Masters Programme and
to all the amazing mills where these photos were
taken. Your work is truly inspiring.
Special thanks to Merino New Zealand
Incorporated, The New Zealand Merino Company,
and Meat & Wool New Zealand.
To Simon, Richard, Nick, and all the great people
we met on our travels - Grazie.
All photographs in this series were taken by
Blythe Rees-Jones on a Canon EOS 450D.
Copyright 2009

4. View from Mt Camino, Italy.

5. There is a very strong connection between Photographs were taken while visiting a
Italian fashion and our magic white merino series of Biellese mills as part of the Biella
fibre from the depths of the south island of Master of Noble Fibres Scholarship
New Zealand. It all begins in a small remote sponsored by Meat & Wool New Zealand
place called Biella, situated in northern Italy and Merino Inc, and organized by Merino Inc
in the foothills of the Italian alps. Biella is an and The New Zealand Merino Company.
integral part of the international high end
luxury fibres industry and the region has a The Biella Masters program is an Italian
long standing tradition of producing fine, high textiles initiative set up to bring factories
quality woollen and worsted textiles. and artists together to foster the handing
down of knowledge, skills and
Every year a high percentage of superfine entrepreneurial ability for the prosperity of
New Zealand merino is purchased by Italian both New Zealand merino and the Italian
mills in Biella where it is crafted into a range textiles industry.
of highly valuable luxury fibre products. New
Zealand merino is highly regarded in Italy for It is hoped that these images capture your
its premium qualities: low micron, good crimp imagination as much as they did the
and elongation, optimum staple length, photographer. The images are presented to
whiteness, and low vegetable matter. give you a real impression of what goes into
making exclusive luxury fibre products in
This book provides an insight into how New Italy from our renewable white resource
Zealand merino is processed in Biella. known as New Zealand merino.