It was a case of, “Master tailor, meet our master woolgrower,” when M.J. Bale’s Japanese master tailor, Kaneko Kenichi, travelled to Kingston farm in Tasmania to meet Simon Cameron, in May.

Kaneko-san had arrived in Sydney to relaunch our Made in Japan Custom program, taking appointments with clients and training M.J. Bale’s custom specialists. However, to understand the true soul of M.J. Bale, our founder, Matt Jensen, knew Kaneko had to experience Kingston, a conservationist enterprise in the wilds of the northern Midlands and home to our single-source wool and on-farm methane reduction programs.

After driving roughly 55km from Launceston airport to Kingston, Simon and Kaneko greeted each other like old friends. Simon then took the two to Kingston’s woolsheds to touch and feel Kingston wool. He outlined Kingston’s revegetation program and the biodiversity preservation work he completed using funds from M.J. Bale’s ‘store-to-farm’ Kingston rebate (a percentage of every M.J. Bale Kingston garment sold is reinvested into conservation projects at Kingston).  Handing Kaneko an M.J. Bale tie woven from his wool, Kaneko responded with a gift of some Japanese sake. Surprising everyone, Simon showed Kaneko a photo of Emperor Hirohito, whom his Cameron ancestor took Merino wool to in the 1930s.

Simon then took Kaneko and Matt on a tour of the property, pointing out the ‘rough country’ where his best wool comes from. He pointed out the many native grasslands, which he has been not just saving, but propagating. “What I’m trying to do here is create superfine wool working in harmony with the environment, not against it.”

Kaneko was astounded, to say the least. “I can see you live a good, simple life amongst this wild nature,” he said. “I would like to make calm and gentle clothes from your calm and gentle wool,” he told the master woolgrower.

“I would like that very much,” Simon humbly responded.