Beyond the Bale

Wool in fashion no longer holds the esteem it had in the 1960's through to the 1980's. Samantha Docherty looks at how the Australian wool industry hopes to overcome its lack of positioning in the apparel market.

Heavy investment is needed to bring fleece back into fashion. Australian wool exports are worth three billion dollars a year, but the fibre is used in only two per cent of designs worldwide.

Cost and the perception that wool is only a winter fibre have contributed to its lack of use in the fashion industry.
Recently in Australia for RAFW and the annual awards for excellence in superfine wool president of Ermenegildo Zegna, Count Paolo Zegna spoke to Landline about the need for communication to reinvigorate the Australian wool industry.
Purchasing Australian wool since the 1960's the company today sources 90 per cent of its fleece from Australia (around 500,000 kilograms a year).

"There have been other natural fibres or manmade fibres or artificial fibres which [in] the past years have heavily invested in communication. Today they have a much better position in the world consumption in any country. I think wool has the potential to get back to the prestigious position it had, but needs to be communicated. One of the major goals of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) in the next few years is how to invest to let people, say even more the young generation of people, to know why they should buy and appreciate and look for wool products."

Investing in the revitalisation of the Woolmark brand AWI relaunched the historic Woolmark symbol this month. Its aim is to revive the Woolmark brand and underscore Merino wool's importance to the fashion world. Establishing a niche in the future of high end design AWI has recruited young innovative fashion designers to bring wool back in vogue.

Reminiscent of the International Wool Secretariat (IWS) Designer Awards in the 1950's that recognised and encouraged the talents of young, upcoming designers (in 1954 this award was won by two young creative's, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves St Laurent) AWI's global projects support the future of design.

Project Protégé and the Australian Merino Woolmark Prize launched in Paris this month along with the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival (LMFF) Designer Award all highlight the luxury of wool.

Winner of the 2008 LMFF Designer Award and Australian Protégé Friedrich Gray designer Ben Pollitt specialises in wool. Collaborating with local hand knitters, Pollitt produces superfine woollen jersey designs.

"Australian merino wool plays a major role in my collections. It ties in with them being transeasonal and long lasting. I used a lot of wool in my summer 08/09 collection, digitally printing some designs. I also washed and treated it to give it a worn look and mixed it with heavily washed leather in the same garment."

For Pollitt it's a good time to be amongst the new wave of designers using wool. "Many of the designers from Project Protégé are keen to develop new fabrics with Woolmark. People have connotations of it being a heavy winter fabric but it can also be used for styles that are super light weight and breathable. Wool is transeasonal. It can be worn whenever as it's a natural fibre and has a very luxurious feel."

Less than two per cent of the world's consumption of fibre, wool is not just luxurious it's a rarity says Zegna.
"We need to start looking to wool not as a commodity. Two per cent is not a commodity - it's a very rare part of the consumption. If we start to promote wool as something rare, there are hundreds of millions of people who are looking for prestigious, natural and beautiful fibres and products."

Whether it's in Russia, China or Brazil, people get acquainted and used to quality very easily adds Zegna.
"Emerging markets such as Russia and China are willing to spend more money on better goods and brands. They become very knowledgeable about the quality of the products very quickly. And once they get into quality goods they are [customers] forever.

"We are talking about hundreds of millions of new consumers that buy high-quality products that could possibly buy quality wool products. It's really up to all of us to bring that message to them. I think there will be a huge market for wool, which would make the future of Australian wool very bright."

Taking the message to the USA Cable Melbourne designer Georgina Sutton says Australia produces the finest wool in the world. In celebration of 200 years of Australian wool Sutton was selected to participate in Austrade's G'Day USA Designer Event in New York last January.

"Americans are 'cashmere crazy' so they were very surprised and impressed at the level of softness and drape that the 100 per cent Merino knits displayed. [Wool] is a fabulous material to work with. Depending on the application you can create product for any season by changing gauges, blending yarns and clever styling. Considering [Australia] produces the majority of the world's Merino wool, it makes sense to use and promote this material in our fashion industry."

Australia's second largest export, wool accounts for 47 per cent of the world's apparel wool, so high standards are important. As part of the Woolmark Company's integration with AWI higher test standards and compliance for manufacturers wishing for a license to utilise the Woolmark will be put into place.

Garment pilling, stretch recovery and retention, dye maintain, withstanding heat and durability are areas that must remain of a consistent quality according to AWI CEO Craig Welsh.

"A key part of the new compliance will ensure a consistent quality is provided by the manufacturers licensed to use the Woolmark brand portfolio. This will be completed by reviewing manufacturer's facilities such as ensuring computerised machines, high quality control infrastructures, timers for dying, and more."

AWI is seeing an increase in demand for Australia's fine Merino wool within the high end of the apparel market.
"Consumers are also demanding a more sustainable and eco friendly product" adds Welsh.

"They are much more aware of the ethical story behind their purchases. This opens more opportunity for wool with its inherent natural, biodegradable and sustainable qualities."

Known for making an environmental difference across all aspects of the womenswear label, Gorman has produced an organic wool in conjunction with The Merino Company. A year in development to get the right hand feel and quality designer Lisa Gorman says its not straight forward working with organic.

"It's not as easy as saying 'hey, lets use this wool, but we'll have it organic'. The wool is grown differently producing a different set of challenges. Now we have managed to get something that rates up there with its non-organic cousin in terms of fineness and softness."

Using organic wool in gorman organic collections all year round, Gorman says it works in the finest gauge underwear-type styles through to chunky knits.

"It's very light for summer and delivers early in the season when the weather is actually still cold, so we run [it] for both seasons."

"There's so much you can do with knitwear, it's not just about the style, it's about the way you knit the yarn and add the detail. [Wool] is so much more versatile than a woven. It's about innovative designers designing and producing a wool garment that defies the myth that wool is heavy, hot and itchy."

By Samantha Docherty