2008 News
Environmentally conscious Japanese embrace Australian Merino wool
6 June 2008
An innovative collection of men’s clothing made from quality Australian Merino wool is set to tap into the burgeoning Japanese demand for green products.
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Australian Merino wool is a wholly natural fibre and a renewable resource that answers the call of many modern consumers for safer, greener and more sustainable apparel.
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and Woolmark have been working with a number of companies to produce fabrics made from Australian Merino that require less environmentally damaging dry cleaning.
Craig Welsh, AWI’s CEO explained, “Australian Merino is a sustainable resource, based as it is on the simple conversion of sunlight, water, soil nutrients and green grass into a soft natural fibre.
”Australian Merino is the perfect fibre for partners such as Onward Kashiyama to reinforce its brand’s eco credentials and provide customers with a natural choice for their apparel textiles.
“AWI and The Woolmark Company are clearly focused on working with industry partners to deliver innovative products which meet the needs of the consumers of today, and tomorrow.
“I applaud the initiative of the partners in the ‘Australian Merino Field’ collection and encourage the efforts of textile manufacturers and retailers to develop products which take advantage of wool’s inherent characteristics, and further expand wool’s market share.”
The collection, which has been created by the Japanese apparel group Onward Kashiyama in conjunction with AWI and Acron of Lion Corporation, is a Fall/Winter 08 range of men’s and sports clothes with sustainable credentials.
It will feature suits, jackets and knitwear made from high-quality Australian Merino. Onward Kashiyama is a forward thinking apparel company specialising in the design, manufacture and sale of textile goods.
The knitwear collection features the innovative Water Treatment (WT) Knitwear created by Acron of Lion Corporation, a treatment that enables buyers to wash the garments safely at home without damaging the look and feel, while easily removing water soluble dirt and perspiration.
As part of its commitment to the environment, Onward will also donate a percentage of proceeds from the sale of Australian Merino Field collection sold under the brands Gotairiku and J. Press, to Australian Landcare Management (ALMS), an environmental protection group devoted to managing Australian land and soil, and to protecting the environment.
Customers buying products featuring WT will also receive a complimentary sample bottle of Acron and the Acron hand-washing handbook to encourage people toward environmentally friendly hand-washing over dry cleaning.
Acron is a detergent for fashion clothing made by Lion Corporation that features a high level of biodegradability. After it is released into the environment, it breaks down into water and carbon dioxide. The ASP ingredient works to retain the style of the garments. It minimizes the formation of creases and twisting, and reduces shrinking, fading of colours and static electricity.
Further environmental initiatives in the Australian Merino Field collection include tags on the WT Knit clothes made from paper printed with soy ink, which is made principally from soy oil and will not emit harmful volatile organic ingredients into the atmosphere.
AWI recently integrated the assets of The Woolmark Company into its business. As a result of this historic merger, AWI became the owner of the Woolmark brands: the world’s best known textile fibre brands. AWI will invest in the revitalisation of the Woolmark brand which is being re launched globally from July 2008.
AWI’s mission is to drive research, development, innovation and marketing that will increase the long term profitability of Australian woolgrowers. AWI invests in the entire wool pipeline – from farm to fashion house – in the areas of textile product development, marketing, wool production and industry affairs. AWI is a not-for-profit company owned by more than 30,000 Australian wool growers.
For further information visit: www.woolinnovation.com.au