Mercerisation process for Merino wool will continue to exert its importance.
Stuart McCullough, Chief Executive Officer of Australian Wool Innovation Ltd/The Woolmark Company, talks about new developments in the Australian Merino wool industry and the growing use of wool in luxury apparel, in an exclusive interview with Fibre2Fashion Correspondent Ilin Mathew.
Synopsis:
Established in 2001 by the Australian Federal Government and wool industry, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is a not-for-profit company owned by more than 25,000 Australian wool levy payers who have registered as AWI shareholders. The company invests in R&D and marketing along the global supply chain for wool to enhance the profitability, international competitiveness, sustainability and demand for Australian wool.
AWI is the owner of The Woolmark Company and the world-renowned Woolmark brand, which has been applied to more than five billion products since its creation in 1964. McCullough has over 20 years’ experience in international business planning, product development management, marketing and sales strategy, strategic alliance negotiation as well as corporate communication experience. He was appointed as CEO of AWI in 2010.
Excerpts:
What are the creative changes made in wool products in the recent past? Besides sweaters and suits, can we see a transformation in the woolen products to casualwear and formalwear? Please explain.
Although men’s suiting is the mainstay of Merino wool with the majority of Australian wool being woven into men’s suiting weight fabric, new innovations pave the way forward for the Merino wool industry, allowing it to be a dynamic one that is forever changing. Innovations can be introduced into Merino wool at any stage in the manufacturing process – reaffirming Merino wool as versatile and adaptable fibre.
Technology allowing garments to look good and feel better promote the positive aspects of woollen products and therefore increase consumer demand for these products. From allowing knitted products to feel as smooth as silk or promoting them as having a high level of natural UV-protection, having easy-to-care for garments and ones which revitalise the wearer thanks to aromatherapy, innovations in knitwear have come a long way since the first knitted sweater hit the runways.
During recent years The Woolmark Company and its partners have developed a host of Merino wool innovations, making Merino knitwear a stellar choice for all those involved in the production process.
You have been associated with the wool industry for long. What major changes have taken place in the Australian and global wool industry over the years?
I’ve been involved with the wool industry for more than 25 years. I started my career in wool as a jackeroo on a sheep farm and later moved on to business management roles engaged in all aspects of the wool producing and demand generating pipeline: wool classer, wool testing, international wool exporter, trader and buyer, and global sales management roles. I’ve been at AWI for more than ten years and CEO for the past 3.5 years.
One of the biggest changes in the wool industry over the past 25 years has been the emergence of economically revived Asian countries, especially China, that have become the major world markets for processing wool, replacing the once dominant Eastern Europe. Indeed in recent years these countries have become prosperous enough to have their own significant domestic markets for wool apparel.
The launch of machine washable wool in 1997 was important because it eliminated a major barrier to purchase by consumers. These garments are machine-washable and are suitable for tumble drying. They won't shrink, lose their shape, fade or colour-bleed.
And the production of wool of an even finer micron by Australian woolgrowers and the development of improved manufacturing techniques, such as mercerisation for Merino wool (in 2005), have enabled the production of luxuriously soft clothing and opened up new markets in next-to-skin wear and sportswear.
While Australian (and global) sheep numbers and wool production have declined over the past quarter of a century, numbers appear to have stabilised over the past few years and we are now seeing a renewed demand and recognition for Australian Merino wool as a premium, natural fibre.
Only a limited number of countries supply wool to textile and clothing manufacturers across the globe. Do you view this as an advantage? Which countries are likely to continue or emerge as key wool suppliers?
I’m sure Australia will continue to dominate the production of Merino wool. Eighty per cent of the world’s fine Merino wool is produced in Australia, and Australian Merino wool is regarded by many as the finest and softest Merino produced anywhere.
Since 1870 Australia has led the world in both the quantity and quality of its wool production, as it does to this day. Selective breeding of sheep by Australian farmers has produced the authentic Australian Merino sheep with its long, fine fibres – ideal for the production of lighter, softer wool fabrics.
Australia has the world’s most advanced wool industry. No other country has such efficient, transparent and highly developed wool marketing system; a trained and registered workforce of over 20,000 wool-classers who prepare clean white Merino wool for the world’s processors; and objective laboratory test results attached to almost every bale of Merino wool exported.
China is increasingly importing wool for garment manufacturing. Do you foresee the country emerging as a major global player in the wool industry?
China has been the largest manufacturer of wool apparel since the 1990s when it took over from Japan, Taiwan and Korea.
It is also the most important growth market for wool consumption where the demand for luxury goods is very strong.
China has always had two of the three key triggers for mass consumption of wool: they have always had the suitable climate and large population; and they now have the third trigger which is wealth. China is the second largest luxury market in the world. The country consumes over a quarter of the world’s global luxury products; Chinese luxury purchasing will surpass the USA by 2015. The tailored men’s apparel market has experienced exponential growth over recent years.
One of the contributing influences driving the demand for wool at a consumer level is the rapidly growing consumer demand for products consistent with a Lifestyle Of Health And Sustainability (LOHAS) – the so-called 'LOHAS consumer’. Consumers are insisting on greater integrity and authenticity in the products they buy with an expectation that they are environmentally friendly. As a natural, biodegradable and renewable fibre, wool is well placed to take advantage of this growing consumer base.
Counterfeit/inferior products often affect the sales of luxury items. Does this problem persist in the case of woolen luxury garments and what is being done to overcome the problem?
It is very difficult to mimic the inherent qualities of wool; man-made fibres have profited from doing so within the sports apparel market however at the cheaper end of the market, inferior wool and low quality blends are very easy to pick from first sight due to the product’s drape and performance.
The Woolmark brand provides consumers with guaranteed fibre content and an assurance of quality and is backed up by technical specifications and stringent independent testing. A Woolmark licence permits the use of the logo as an independent quality endorsement of wool products. All accredited Woolmark licensees receive a unique licence number and certificate which entitles access to Woolmark branded tickets, labels and merchandising support material.
The Woolmark Company and its brands have a reputation and legal requirement to provide consumers with a quality assurance endorsement and as such carry out spot checks on products labelled with our trademarks and take action to remove sub-standard or counterfeit products from the market.
You have once said that your aim is to position wool next to the best designers in the world. How big is the market for woolen garments in the luxury market?
The Woolmark Company works with brands and designers globally to highlight their innovative and creative interpretations of the Australian Merino wool fibre. We consider the partnership with leading designers such as Alexander Wang and Vivienne Westwood to be the pinnacle of this strategy. These designers and brands are the most respected in the world and showcase Australian Merino wool at its best, reinforcing our key marketing message to the apparel industry and through to consumers, that Australian Merino wool – with its natural, renewable and biodegradable properties - is the finest most luxurious of fibres.
The luxury end of the market continues to show steady growth in comparison to the fast-fashion end of the market, which reinforces Merino wool’s position as the fibre of choice for the world’s leading designers and premium apparel brands. Our aim is to also connect with the younger generation of discerning consumers and establish Australian Merino wool as the fibre of choice for fine, contemporary fashion.
What are the new innovations in the wool industry and how are they likely to transform the behavior of the world wool industry in near future?
Thanks to new processing technologies and the efforts of Australian woolgrowers who continue to produce finer Merino wools, the introduction of lighter weight Merino wool fabrics and yarns – such as those under our Cool Wool program – will define Merino wool as the ideal trans-seasonal fibre – extending wool’s reach into the warmer seasons and environments. Many cities of the world are burdened with extreme temperatures for long periods of each year. We expect these fabric weights will offer consumers some real options for summer suits and other apparel.
The mercerisation process for Merino wool will continue to exert its importance. This process creates a “cashmere like” feel, and a “silk like” appearance. The actual diameter (micron) of the fibre does not change, but the perceived improvement in hand feel is the equivalent of using wool two to three microns finer.
Also, to enable wool to take advantage of the global trend towards a more informal style of dressing, we continue to work closely with the manufacturing industry to develop new processes that provide a range of unique and stylish effects on wool. A number of new manufacturing processes, such as novel dyeing and finishing techniques, have been developed and commercialised, aimed at producing casual effects (visual and textural) on wool products. These collections have a stylish new "edge" targeted at the young fashion-conscious street wear and casual wear markets.
Do you think that Merino fibre can be a choice for leading fashion brands in the near future? Please elaborate.
Merino wool is the fibre of choice for many high-end designers and brands due to its inherent natural qualities which offer benefits beyond a garment’s mere appearance: its tailorability and easy-to-handle traits make Merino wool a desirable fibre to work with for designers across the world.
Soft, comfortable and breathable, Merino wool is a highly efficient insulator, keeping the wearer cool and fresh in hot temperatures, and warm in cooler weather. It is also a resilient textile with low wrinkle and superior drape, which helps explain why the fibre is so highly sought-after by many of the world’s leading manufacturers, designers and retailers.
Already we have seen many of the world’s top designers and fashion houses rediscover the potential of Australian Merino wool.
This year alone designers such as Alexander Wang, Narciso Rodriguez, Richard Nicoll, Jonathan Saunders and Dion Lee sent wool down the runway at the world’s leading fashion events.
The regions with cold winters are naturally the major consumers of Merino wool products. How do you foresee the prospects of light weight wool fabrics and clothing in regions with long summer seasons, including the Middle East and Southeast Asia?
The key product which we promote within the warmer regions is Cool Wool. Cool Wool garments are manufactured from lightweight Merino wool fabrics with a maximum weight of 190 gram per square metre and a maximum mean wool fibre diameter of 22.5 micron. The fabric/garment surface is clean and smooth. Cool Wool fabrics and garments carrying the Woolmark logo are normally 100 per cent Pure New Wool but can include blends of wool with fine animal fibres.
Some of the most influential brands and designers have been using Cool Wool in their Spring Summer collections. The original Cool Wool program, launched by the International Wool Secretariat nearly 30 years ago and used up until the late-1990s, was very successful. The new Cool Wool campaign takes the concept of trans-seasonal apparel even further for the 21st century with even lighter weight fabrics and yarns.
The aim of the Cool Wool campaign is to ultimately extend the buying season of wool. Already launched in Dubai and India the new-look campaign has enjoyed success in these warmer climates which would normally shy away from wool.
