WLM WLM Fall 2014 | Page 20

WLM | Wyoming Woman from the inner belly of cashmere goats. Creating quality cashmere is a consequence of original fiber quality, the process taken to spin the fiber into yarn, and the skill used to knit the yarn. For her products, Courtney made sure that the quality of cashmere was second to none. Winter & Bract’s partner spinning mill, founded in Scotland in 1867, has privileged and consistent access to the very finest cashmere fibers available, predominantly combed from Inner Mongolian goats. The spinning and dyeing of the cashmere fibers takes place on the bank of Loch Leven in Scotland, using “…the loch’s uniquely soft Scottish water.” The water is a factor in the Scottish tradition of cashmere excellence. The yarn is sent to Hawick, along the Scottish Borders, where it is handled by experts, including second and third generation cashmere craftsmen and women. “Each piece necessitates more than twenty different steps to produce, with exacting standards on quality applied throughout the entire process,” W&B adds. 20 Courtney grew up in Casper, and her family currently resides in Wilson. Her sister Katrina, a filmmaker by day, provides her artistic creativity Wyoming Lifestyle Magazine | Fall 2014 as designer of W&B’s blankets. The name Winter & Bract pays homage to Wyoming and her family’s connection. “It’s a play on Wyoming seasons as well as two words that most symbolize Wyoming to me,” Courtney explains. ‘Winter’ of course refers to one of our longest (and some do actually argue, most glorious) seasons, and is “…a reference to a piece of music that always reminds me of Christmas in Wilson.” The word ‘bract’ was new to me – Courtney taught me that this is the term for the “…strong and spiky leaf-like structure that surrounds and protects the more vulnerable flower inside” the Indian Paintbrush flower. Courtney’s passion extends to creating products that are environmentally and socially sustainable as well – particularly the Slow Fashion movement. “{It’s about} being more focused on quality over quantity… resisting the throw away fashion culture that has grown so much in recent years,” she explains. Winter & Bract launched in April, and their products can be found at Rodeo and Amangani in Jackson Hole. Be sure to visit their website, winterandbract. c