Sophie Poelman is a designer whose practice navigates the intentional space where raw utility, tactile memory, and high-performance design meet. Rooted in the quiet waters of Anzac Bay, her work represents a full-circle return to the fibres and making traditions of Aotearoa. 

After years designing technical mountain apparel, she now applies that rigorous design lens to an abundant yet undervalued material: New Zealand wool. Operating from her studio on Waiheke Island Sophie elevates local wool into meaningful design and art, guided by the belief that beauty must be functional, resourceful, and grounded in reality.

Her approach is deeply mirrored in the slow, observant act of beach combing along Waiheke’s shores, collecting unique shells that reflect the beauty already existing in nature. Inspired by original, beautifully imperfect handmade art from the local community she infuses a thoughtful, practical sensibility into her workspace of prototypes and found objects. Anchored by the quiet, daily ritual of brewing loose leaf Earl Grey in a favourite ceramic cup, Sophie values the process of making and the relationships built along the way.