The Story of Mohair by Chommies

Sometimes the most meaningful ideas begin by accident.

During the Covid lockdown, when much of the world had come to a standstill, production
of many Chommies accessories had to pause. For Florence, who had been working with
the team, this meant suddenly having unexpected time on her hands.

Nathalie, the founder of Chommies, had a simple idea. She asked Florence if she might try knitting a jersey similar to one Nathalie already owned and loved. There was no pattern, no particular plan - just the curiosity to see what might happen.

Florence agreed.

When the first jersey was finished, it was better than anyone had expected. Friends
noticed it immediately. Someone asked where they could buy one. Then another person
asked. Soon more people wanted one too.

Looking back, Nathalie says she never set out to start a knitwear brand. “It really wasn’t
planned,” she says. “It started with one jersey, and people were instinctively drawn to
them.”

As orders slowly increased, the small project began to take shape. Susan, who was
working as the Chommies accountant at the time (now the Head of Finance) and is also
an experienced knitter, helped develop a pattern so the garments could be reproduced
more consistently.

And with that, a steady rhythm of knitting began.

What started as a practical solution during lockdown slowly grew into something much
larger. More knitters joined, each bringing their own skill, patience and care to the
process.

Today, Mohair by Chommies is made by more than 20 knitters, each producing garments
by hand using kid mohair - one of the world’s finest natural fibres.

The yarn itself is light, soft and warm. But part of what makes the garments distinctive is
something less tangible. “You can feel when something has been made by hand,” Nathalie says. “There’s a story behind it. I think people respond to that.”

No two jerseys are ever identical. Small variations in stitch, tension and finish are part of
what gives each piece its character. For Nathalie, that individuality is exactly the point.

What began as a small, unexpected idea has grown slowly and organically - one jersey at
a time. And while the garments themselves are simple, the feeling they carry is something she hopes people recognise the moment they put one on.

“More than anything, I want people to feel comfortable,” she says. “Like they’re wrapped
in something that feels familiar – the feeling of home.”

Mohair by Chommies is not just about knitwear. It reflects craft, patience, and a way of
making that values time over speed.