3-piece outfit by Danielle Elsener in John Foster fabric 
The ‘Made in England’ selvedge has become a feature of the design 
Plain and pinstripe Summerstrand wool and mohair
John Foster has teamed up with emerging fashion designer Danielle Elsener to produce a unique three-piece outfit for Wool Week 2020.
Danielle Elsener, who graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2020, has created a three-piece outfit in a combination of plain and pinstripe ultrafine Super 100s wool and mohair Summerstrand fabrics from John Foster. Mohair keeps the wearer cool in summer and the Summerstrand range is naturally crease-resistant.
The short-sleeved button-down shirt, pair of shorts, and coaches jacket are all created using Danielle’s unique Zero Waste Design System AO2O, which won her a €50,000 grant from Virgil Abloh and Evian’s Activate Movement initiative for sustainable design and innovation projects earlier this year.
Danielle’s outfit can also be found in Future Fashion Factory’s virtual Wool Week showroom, created in partnership with BrandLab Fashion.
The collaboration is part of an innovative project for Wool Week led by Future Fashion Factory, bringing together emerging fashion designers from the Royal College of Art with Yorkshire mills from Future Fashion Factory’s community of over 250 manufacturers, fashion designers, brands and more.
John Foster was established in 1819 and the company’s luxury fabrics are produced at its mill in Bradford. The Royal College of Art is one of Future Fashion Factory’s three partner universities along with the University of Leeds and University of Huddersfield.
Danielle Elsener said: “Working with such beautiful fabrics with an amazingly rich history made this a project a dream.
“My Zero Waste Design System patterns were adapted to the size of these fabrics to incorporate the selvedge. The storytelling of this fabric and these Zero Waste pieces are pulled to the forefront by allowing the selvedge details to showcase themselves.”
Claire Carey, Sales Manager of John Foster, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this project to celebrate wool week and to support emerging fashion designers of the future.
“Danielle is a true talent who deserves every success with her zero-waste design system A020, we will be following her progress with great interest!”
Suzy Shepherd, Co-Director of Future Fashion Factory, said: “Danielle’s use of traditional suiting fabric in vibrant contemporary wear shows the versatility of wool, giving a new utility twist to luxury casual clothing. Bringing her zero waste design system together with luxury heritage cloth demonstrates the innovation and skill across the UK fashion industry which Future Fashion Factory is committed to supporting.”
