By The Fashion Editorial Team
For its 27th edition of the Loro Piana Record Bale Award, the Italian Maison selected the Tokyo National Museum to recognize the finest micron wool in the world for 2025. Honoring producers from both Australia and New Zealand, the Australian Record Bale was awarded to Pyrenees Park, owned by Pamela, Robert, and Bradley Sandlant, for a 92‑kilogram bale of Merino wool measuring just 10.4 microns. New Zealand’s Record Bale went to first‑time winners Earnscleugh, led by Alistair and Duncan Campbell, who produced 91 kilograms of Merino wool registering at 11.2 microns. To put this remarkable fineness in context, a single strand of human hair measures approximately 70 microns.
The 2025 Loro Piana Record Bale Award winners, from left: Robert Sandlant, Bradley Sandlant, Pamela Sandlant, Frédéric Arnault, Amanda Campbell, and Duncan Campbell at the gala dinner in Tokyo. Courtesy of Loro Piana.
Hosted by the Maison since 1997 to recognize excellence in Merino sheep breeding, the event and gala dinner were held at the Hyokeikan Building within the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park. Sealed in a glass container at the Loro Piana Quarona factory in Piedmont, Italy, the World Record Bale remains on display until a new record is surpassed. This award‑winning wool is then transformed each year into the Maison’s The Gift of Kings® collection, a name inspired by the Spanish royal tradition of gifting pairs of Merino sheep to European monarchs. Naturally resilient, the lightweight yarns protect against frigid temperatures while releasing heat in warmer climates. In addition, the fiber can absorb up to 35 percent of its weight in moisture, completing the proposition for a highly prized and versatile wardrobe.
Loro Piana artisan working with The Gift of Kings® fabric produced from the 2025 Record Bale, measuring 11.7 microns. Courtesy of Loro Piana.
Attending the candlelit gala dinner within the storied halls of the Tokyo National Museum were esteemed guests including renowned Japanese architects, novelists, performers, journalists, and revered directors of visual and performing arts institutions across Japan. Tables dressed in Loro Piana linen were adorned with floral centerpieces of white and yellow daffodils, forsythia, wild blossoms, glory lilies, lily of the valley branches, and green maple leaves, celebrating a shared reverence for nature at the heart of both Loro Piana and Japanese culture.
Candlelit banquet table dressed in Loro Piana linen and seasonal florals at the Record Bale Award gala, Tokyo National Museum. Courtesy of Loro Piana.
Among the guests gathered for the evening were architect Jun Aoki; Makoto Fujiwara, Director of the Tokyo National Museum; and celebrated graphic novelist, essayist, and painter Mari Yamazaki. They were joined by custodians of Japanese craftsmanship including Masataka and Taeko Hosoo of Hosoo, Takahiro Yagi of Kaikado, and Hosai Matsubayashi of Ashai‑yaki, alongside leading cultural voices such as Fumio Nanjo, Special Advisor to the Mori Art Museum, and Taku Sato, Director of PARCEL. The arts were further represented by Mizuka Ueno, Guest Principal Dancer of The Tokyo Ballet, as well as Robert Campbell, professor and gallerist, and journalist Masafumi Suzuki, underscoring the evening’s dialogue between fashion, culture, and contemporary Japanese creativity.
Distinguished guests gathered for the Record Bale Award gala at the Tokyo National Museum, from left: Fumio Nanjo, Miwa Kutsuna, Hosai Matsubayashi, Takahiro Yagi, Jun Aoki, Makoto Fujiwara, Mari Yamazaki, Mika Yoshioka, Miwa Kutsuna, Mizuka Ueno, Robert Campbell, Taeko Hosoo, Masataka Hosoo, Taku Sato, and Yuta Takeda. Courtesy of Loro Piana.
Over the years, the Loro Piana Record Bale Award has come to embody uncompromising quality, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of ever finer Merino wool. From the first New Zealand Record Bale, which weighed 100 kilograms and measured 13.8 microns, breeders’ dedication has driven a remarkable improvement in fiber fineness of around 30 percent. Timeless, precious, and exceptionally rare, the Record Bale Award stands as a true expression of excellence in Merino wool production, rooted in a deep respect for natural fibers and harmony with nature. Reaffirming Loro Piana’s dedication to sourcing and traceability, the award underscores the Maison’s enduring commitment to the world’s finest fibers.