Peri Drysdale is the founder and CEO of sustainable lifestyle fashion brand Untouched World and Chair of the Untouched World Foundation.
IN 1981 with $200 in capital, she began a knitwear cottage industry at home. That brand at that time was called Snowy Peak. Later while travelling extensively exporting her knitwear, Peri became concerned about the ecological trajectory the planet was on. Untouched World was born in 1996 to push the boundaries to create a better tomorrow for people and planet.
Untouched World gained global exposure in 1999 when, US president at the time, Bill Clinton was pictured wearing an Untouched World merino shirt at an APEC conference. Another US President, Barack Obama, was later pictured wearing an Untouched World sweater.
Untouched World is the first fashion company in the world to be recognized by the UN for sustainability. The Untouched World Foundation which provides groundbreaking ‘Leadership for a Sustainable Future’ programmes for young adults, is recognized by UNESCO as one of three global exemplars in that space.
Over the years, Peri and Untouched World Ltd have received numerous awards, including recognition as one of 100 New Zealanders who made the most significant contribution to New Zealand, in 1992 Peri was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, and was North and South New Zealander of the Year in 2006. In 2007 Peri was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Commerce from Lincoln University and in 2008 she was Supreme Award Winner at the World Class New Zealander Awards. Peri was awarded with Exceptional Services to Entrepreneurship at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 2018, and the following year in 2019, Untouched World was awarded a UK Common Objective Brand Leader award for setting a new standard in best practice within the global fashion industry. In March 2021 Peri was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. In February 2022 Untouched World was named in the top 10 global sustainable fashion brands in the world, ahead of finalists Kering,( Gucci owner) and alongside Elaine Fisher this year and Stella McCartney who won last time.