Our story.
Returning to New Zealand after years of international work with design brands and pursuing her passion for snowboarding across Europe and North America, Sophie Poelman set about creating a home for her family on Waiheke Island. In 2020, she became aware of the challenges facing the strong wool industry in New Zealand, leading her to question the low prices received by growers amidst a rising issue of synthetic textile waste. She connected with a local Waiheke farmer early on in her journey, and recognised the untapped potential of wool as a magical fibre for interiors. This realisation led Sophie to experiment and explore wool's possibilities through a design-led approach. With the support of a government R&D grant, she collaborated with her life and work partner, Alain Brideson, a globally recognised industrial designer passionate about creating dynamic products, to push the boundaries of wool's design possibilities, launching their first product — an acoustic dampening woollen light — in late 2024.
Meet the Team
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Sophie Poelman brings a distinctive blend of expertise in high-performance textiles and design aesthetics, with a rich background spanning 15 years in crafting functional apparel for brands like O'Neill, Salewa, Macpac, Mons Royale, and Huffer. Embracing a design philosophy of "less but better," Sophie believes good design begins with the perfect material, is expressed with minimal decoration, and must always serve its functional purpose.
A strong advocate for simple living and sustainability, Sophie became disenchanted with the environmental impact of the textile industry, which contributes nearly 10% of global carbon emissions and over 180,000 tonnes of textile waste to landfill in New Zealand each year. Entering the world of architecture, she discovered the problem was even greater in the built environment: New Zealand’s construction and demolition (C&D) industry sends over 568,000 tonnes of waste to landfill annually, making up around 40–50% of the country’s total landfill waste.
She draws inspiration from the landscapes of Aotearoa, balancing her studio practice with time in nature and with her family.
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Alain Brideson, known for his comprehensive approach to industrial design, is dedicated to infusing quality and longevity into the products he shapes. With two decades of international industrial design expertise, Alain has contributed to iconic projects, including Vessev hydrofoiling boats, Rinspeed electric cars, Fisher and Paykel products, Vortex spas, UBCO bikes, and Blunt umbrellas. Operating as a design consultant through his company Brideson Design, Alain collaborates with clients across the Pacific and Europe, seamlessly merging technical and engineering innovation with cutting-edge visual appeal and usability.
Inspired by the perfect beauty of nature, automotive design, sculpture, and the synaesthesia of music, Alain balances his studio practice with hands-on making and time with his family.
"As a designer, I believe in selecting materials that not only meet high standards for aesthetics and functionality but also uphold a deep responsibility to the environment. Wool, with its natural beauty and sustainable credentials, perfectly embodies this ethos."
— Sophie Poelman, Lof Founder / Designer.