Merino & Co. Limited (ASX: MNC) today announced a significant design collaboration with acclaimed social entrepreneur Ronni Kahn AO. The company, which is a vertically integrated entity involved in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sale of wool products through various channels both domestically and internationally, revealed plans to launch an exclusive capsule travel collection under its YÙE house, to be branded as YÙE by Merino & Co.
This upcoming collection is specifically designed for travel and will feature no fewer than nine distinct designs, all crafted from Australian merino wool. The collaboration outlines Ms. Kahn’s role in holding design authorship, covering aspects such as silhouette, styling, construction, materials, and fit, with support from Merino & Co.’s House Designer. Merino & Co., in turn, will retain authority over brand positioning, pricing, manufacturing, supply, quality standards, and the overall route to market for the collection. Ms. Kahn is well-known as the founder of OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2019 for her distinguished service to social welfare.
The partnership will operate under a build-then-trade structure, with the design phase targeted for completion within six months of commencement. Merino & Co. anticipates the first commercial sale of the collection within twelve months. Commenting on the collaboration, Ms. Kahn expressed her commitment to creating durable, high-quality pieces from Australian merino wool. Merino & Co. Managing Director, Ms. Fiona Yue, underscored Ms. Kahn’s unique perspective on materials, which aligns naturally with merino wool. This initiative is strategically aimed at advancing YÙE as a design-led house, opening a ‘Travel’ chapter in its collection sequence, and broadening the Company’s reach to new customer audiences.
