ABOUT ME:
Amanda Bransgrove
Amanda Bransgrove, 58, a stock agent’s daughter from Cromwell, grew up with wool as her heartbeat—shaped by homemade clothes, horse rides, and school holidays at her cousin's farm. From Miss Central Otago to a FORD model in NYC (1995), she has walked fashion’s runways for over 40 years, produced shows for more than 20 years, and mentored teens through her businesses, Catwalk Studios and Monarch Models.
An award-winning photographer, IMG mother agent, and mother of three (including a daughter who modelled), Amanda has witnessed fashion’s spectrum—from excess to waste. Her creative soul thrives in nature photography, fashion, portraiture, ceramics, painting, and exhibitions, always rooted in sustainability and community.
Amanda's passion for nature is evident; she spearheaded Te Ngaere Bay’s foreshore replanting (2014–2017) and restored an 1867 settlers’ store into Arthur’s Apartment in Lawrence (book here), honouring its heritage - a tribute to the area. Since 2019, modelling across New Zealand and Australia with Silverfox Models, Amanda has observed wool’s decline to synthetics, and is now on a personal mission to regenerate Wool and educate its sustainable advantages, brilliance as a natural wearable fabric, health benefits of wool in the home and she is passionate about bringing Wool back to life for so many reasons.
WOOL ADVOCACY:
Amanda's passion to revive wool in 2025
Wool is Amanda Bransgrove’s story and soul. Her grandmother’s strong wool jerseys, itchy yet warm, contrast today’s soft Wools of NZ merino, now innovating for Mars. As Liz Mitchell’s muse since the 1980s, Amanda has worn her wool designs, photographed her daughter in them, and walked her runway in 2025, feeling wool’s embrace again. Touring with NZ Wool Board shows, she modelled Benson & Hedges and Smokefree award winners—wool was New Zealand’s pride, its fibres telling stories of resilience. Her father, “Barley Grass,” a 45-year stock agent and volunteer fireman, passed last year; his flag at half-mast and wool’s fire-retardant magic continue to motivate her.
Amanda has witnessed fashion’s rise and fall—synthetics flooding markets, wool left behind. At 58, modelling again, she believes change starts with action. WOOL Regenerate is more than art—it’s wisdom, sharing wool’s sustainable promise with youth, from Auckland to beyond. It proves beauty and purpose thrive at every age, just as wool endures.
