Why I Created Wide Open World

Our planet is not well. Neither are developed economies. The economic system governing our daily transactions is nearly flawless—save for one critical fault: it remains on a collision course with both nature and society itself.

The polycrisis we face today—climate destabilisation, biodiversity collapse, resource depletion—stems from a profound misconception: that we can separate economic activity from ecological boundaries. For centuries, we've operated as if natural resources were infinite, available for exponential extraction without consequence.

"The conventional sustainability narrative has largely focused on continuing business as usual with an added layer of 'doing less harm,'" as I explained to colleagues during early development meetings. "We celebrate marginal efficiency improvements while nature disappears at an accelerating rate." The contradiction is stark: we discuss reducing impacts while simultaneously intensifying production and expanding into ever more fragile ecosystems.

This illusion has proven catastrophic. Yet remarkably, even acknowledging our planet's finite dimensions remains controversial in many business circles—a testament to how deeply entrenched our growth-at-all-costs paradigm has become.

Despite decades of sustainability initiatives, we continue to lose forests, wetlands, grasslands and marine ecosystems at unprecedented rates. The mathematics of our situation is unforgiving. We cannot continue appropriating nature at current rates and expect different outcomes.

After two years of intensive research into sustainable business models and earth sciences, including the planetary boundaries framework, and numerous meetings with ecologists and farmers, I finally connected the dots. What emerged wasn't just another fashion brand with sustainability credentials, but a blueprint for what business should have been from the start.

Wide Open World became the first use case demonstrating that absolute sustainability in luxury fashion isn't merely possible—it's imperative.

Our approach isn't about incremental improvement—it's about fundamental redesign. By sourcing superfine Merino wool from a single Tasmanian farm committed to biodiversity preservation, and partnering with nonprofits such as the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, we've established the foundation of a truly regenerative supply chain that regulates its thrust of output.

"Protecting what should remain in our ecosystems isn't merely one sustainability strategy among many—it should be the only game in town," I noted during one presentation given by Natropy, a spin-off of the Wide Open World project which goal is to share knowledge and advise other business actors on absolute sustainability strategies.

To achieve this protection requires evolving how we conceive of business itself. The future of commerce on Earth must integrate stewardship principles—the same principles that form the foundation of indigenous thinking across continents and millennia: maintain nature at its equilibrium point. Take X, give Y. Always.

This isn't revolutionary—it's restorative. It reconnects business with the wisdom that sustained human societies for far longer than our current industrial experiment has existed. It reconciles the economy with the natural world. More importantly, beyond the spiritual connection that human feel with nature, this logic is now backed by decades of science. The latest scientific research informs us, with a descent level of confidence, about what the safe ratios of X and Y are. They cannot responsibly be ignored anymore.

The journey of our materials continues in the workshops of Italian artisans, where generations of expertise transform premium fibres into timeless knitwear. This marriage of environmental stewardship and meticulous craftsmanship represents our vision of what luxury truly means in the 21st century.

Our commitment extends beyond conventional practices. We invest directly in protecting and restoring local ecosystems to their natural state, maintaining ecological balance and setting a precedent for how businesses should operate sustainably—far beyond mere carbon offsets or efficiency improvements.

"The luxury sector holds particular responsibility and opportunity in this transformation," I've often reflected. "As creators of objects of desire and shapers of culture, luxury brands have disproportionate influence. When we demonstrate that the highest quality products emerge from business models that protect rather than deplete nature, we catalyse change far beyond our direct footprint."

Wide Open World is simultaneously a luxury fashion house, a research project and a think tank. We bring together scientific research, earth science and innovative business practices, allowing them to flourish through our products to demonstrate what's possible.

Our collections feature garments crafted from the finest Merino wool, biodegradable and free from toxic chemicals, each piece embodying the balance between economic activity and ecological preservation that forms the core of our philosophy.

In an industry often clouded by greenwashing, we've committed to radical transparency, exposing every detail of our supply chain to hold ourselves accountable and establish a new standard for the fashion industry.