The Impact of Wool in the Cycling World
Many of the world’s sporting codes have picked up on the benefits of pure wool clothing.
Tennis Champion, Andy Murray, in Collaboration with The Woolmark Company
Tennis star Andy Murray has returned to Wimbledon this year in a very special
Let’s Talk Wool
Let's Talk Wool The 90th IWTO Congress celebrated the creation of the first global wool trading standards, drafted 90 years ago. Soon, the textile trade will be tied to sustainability. Here’s how wool is leading the conversation. One of the effects of the ongoing pandemic is that people care more about the clothes they buy and how they are made. They want to buy less and wear what they have for longer. As consumers begin to turn over clothing labels and ask pertinent questions about the origins of their purchases, makers and sellers have a duty to provide transparent and truthful answers. The global wool pipeline is responding to this call. Over the course of the IWTO Congress, held 17-21 May, speakers from the wool textile pipeline spoke to solutions being developed and, in many cases, already offered by the industry. Towards Carbon Zero 2020 brought twenty years of
Why Sustainability Is Everything, and How Wool Delivers
One of the effects of the ongoing pandemic is that people care more about the clothes they buy and how they are made. They want to buy less and wear what they have for longer. How sustainability became “everything”, and how wool delivers to that requirement, will be the subject of the upcoming Retail Forum (20 May), part of our week-long annual Congress. Traceability, ratings and retail 2020 brought twenty years of change in a single year, says Simon Cotton, Chief Executive of Johnstons of Elgin, specialists in cashmere and fine wool since 1797. Amid changes to the market and the places where retail sales occur, Cotton flags up 2020 as the year of sustainability. This should be good news for a natural fibre, right? Not quite: despite being natural, renewable, and biodegradable, wool must work much harder to present its sustainability credentials, because the way textile apparel ratings
Campaign for Wool at the 90th IWTO Congress
The Campaign for Wool celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2020 with a host of initiatives across the UK. At the same time, the Campaign for Wool in Canada, along with its parent body the Canadian Wool Council, took some bold steps toward transforming the Canadian wool landscape. The International Wool Textile Organisation is pleased to welcome both Peter Ackroyd of the Campaign for Wool and Matthew J. Rowe of the Campaign for Wool Canada as speakers for its upcoming IWTO Congress. A Fresh Look for Canadian Wool The Campaign for Wool Canada, inaugurated in 2014 in Nova Scotia by HRH The Prince of Wales, has generated millions of media impressions in its mission to educate Canadian consumers on the benefits of wool. Yet a lack of connection across its domestic supply chain called out for a re-think. The result: in October 2020, Campaign for Wool Canada launched a series
Looking Ahead: Wool Trends from Pitti Uomo & Pitti Filati
Adapting with style to pandemic restrictions, Pitti Immagine offered its leading trade fairs as the fully digital Pitti Connect for nearly four months. Encompassing menswear for Autumn-Winter 2021/22 and fabrics and yarns for Spring-Summer 2022, social media powered the platform with images that reached customer and end-user alike. Animal fibres and leathers dominated many collections, as did firmly-rooted messages of sustainability. The emphasis has shifted from merely stating claims to proving them, and it was rare to find a collection which did not mention verifiable standards and certification, as well as giving fuller descriptions of the journey of their products in as much detail as possible. Looking ahead: Wool trends from Pitti Connect By Janet Prescott Menswear Autumn-Winter 2021/22 There was still a lot of dependence on dark, urban wear, military olive greens, black, and anthracite, still edgy and trendy in city wear. Dramatic oversize black and white checks
Health for Planet and for People at the 90th IWTO Congress
As companies and consumers worldwide strive to become healthier and more sustainable, research shows that the humble wool fibre has a clear role to play. Just how that can happen will be the focus of two separate sessions at the upcoming IWTO Congress. Wool for Planet Traceability. Transparency. Regenerative farming and carbon sequestration. The contemporary woolgrower is very much at the forefront of the leading challenges of the day and has a pivotal place in the transition from the linear to the circular economy. The cultivation of land remains of vital importance to us all and is fundamental to the continued health of the planet. The annual Congress of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) gives wool sustainability centre stage on Tuesday, 18 May with a panel of experts from farm to fashion: Dave Maslen, The New Zealand Merino Company In 2007, NZM created the ZQ on-farm standard to
2030 Strategy and Generation Z Headline the IWTO Congress
Let's Talk Wool The annual Congress of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) is a highlight of the global wool textile industry calendar. Undeterred by Covid restrictions, for 2021 IWTO hosts a fully digital series of presentations, panel discussions and chat rooms, held over the course of five days in order to span the world’s time zones. From what’s driving wool sustainability to the latest market statistics, the programme features the leading topics of the day, with insights and analysis from industry professionals and experts. The World’s Premium Sustainable Fibre The Congress kicks off on Monday, 17 May with two very special speakers presenting on two key visions for wool. First, Scott Williams, who facilitated the Woolgrower Consultation Group for the Wool 2030 Strategy that was published in Australia this past December, will present on the content and implementation of this new 10-year plan to position Australian wool as
5 Wool Takeaways from the Digital Trade Fairs
Milano Unica, digitised as e-MilanoUnica Connect, gathered some of the biggest names of Italy and Europe and beyond on its digital platforms with 225 companies altogether. These included the Japan and Korea Observatories. Idea Biella, the specialist suitings area, could be said to represent the most upmarket collections of menswear fabrics, with particularly strong collections from Italy and the UK. Meanwhile, summer wool made its presence felt at Premiere Vision. PV’s customary analysis and trend information made much of eco attitudes, including natural plant or wool based materials. As with MU, the quest for less harmful finishing and enhancements was also notable. Digital shows keep the ball rolling towards wool By Janet Prescott Covid once again kept trade fairs in the realm of the digital. Below are our top five takeaways from Milano Unica and Premiere Vision. 1. The demise of the suit is greatly exaggerated As far as wool
Natural Fibres are Natural Partners for Responsible Fibre Consumption
Natural fibres such as cotton and wool offer many solutions to the world’s current environmental challenges, but risk being misrepresented by sustainability ratings, the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) told the representatives of the cotton industry at last week’s Bremen Cotton Conference. More than 450 participants from 32 countries attended the conference, which brings together cotton and other textile specialists from around the world. As part of the popular panel for Responsible Fibre Production, chaired by Cotton Incorporated Senior Vice President Mark Messura, IWTO Secretary General Dalena White cautioned attendees that, under current ratings systems, products made from wool and cotton are at significant risk of being rated poorly compared to synthetics. The result of a rating scheme that doesn’t reward the attributes of natural raw materials and doesn’t penalise key environmental impacts of fossil fuel-based raw materials will be falling demand for wool and cotton as brand purchasing