ISSUE 88 SEPTEMBER 2021 - DEFENCE FORCE DRESSED IN WOOL - Australian Wool Innovation

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ISSUE 88 SEPTEMBER 2021 - DEFENCE FORCE DRESSED IN WOOL - Australian Wool Innovation
ISSUE 88 SEPTEMBER 2021
                                          PROFIT FROM WOOL INNOVATION
                                                         www.wool.com

           07                       10                          26
 DEFENCE FORCE    WOOL’S ECO CHALLENGE             COVID ADVICE
DRESSED IN WOOL               IN EUROPE       FOR WOOLGROWERS
ISSUE 88 SEPTEMBER 2021 - DEFENCE FORCE DRESSED IN WOOL - Australian Wool Innovation
08 ANDY MURRAY WEARS                                                 50 E
                                                                                                                                              LIMINATING THE
                                                                          WOOL AT WIMBLEDON                                                     CATCH AND DRAG
EDITOR
Richard Smith
E richard.smith@wool.com

Australian Wool Innovation Limited
A L6, 68 Harrington St, The Rocks,
                                                    OFF-FARM                                                              ON-FARM
   Sydney NSW 2000
   GPO Box 4177, Sydney NSW 2001                        3     Letter from the new AWI Chairman                            26 COVID – advice for woolgrowers
P 02 8295 3100                                          4     WoolPoll 2021                                               27 COVID – advice for in the shed
E info@wool.com W wool.com
AWI Helpline 1800 070 099                               5     AWI’s Review of Performance                                 28 FeralScan up-to-date pest monitoring
SUBSCRIPTION                                            6     AWI consultation forums                                     30 Making More From Sheep education
Beyond the Bale is available free.
To subscribe contact AWI                                7     ADF dressed in wool                                             31 Natural Capital Accounting
P 02 8295 3100 E info@wool.com
                                                        8     Andy Murray takes wool to Wimbledon                         32 Land stewardship benefits confirmed
Beyond the Bale is published by Australian              10 Wool’s eco rating challenge in the EU                          34 Lifetime Ewe Management
Wool Innovation Ltd (AWI), a company
funded by Australian woolgrowers and the                11 Devold’s reversable base-layers                                35 Sheep reproduction advice on video
Australian Government. AWI’s goal is to help
increase the demand for wool by actively                12 “Buy better, buy wool” campaign                                36 Merino Lifetime Productivity
selling Australian wool and its attributes                                                                                38 Genetics update
through investments in marketing, innovation            13 Natural dyes for a natural fibre
and R&D – from farm to fashion and interiors.           14 Hedrena’s Aussie wool apparel                                  40 AWI breeding publications

COPYRIGHT                                               15 Custom tailoring with InStitchu                                42 Flystrike management advice
Material in Beyond the Bale is copyright.                                                                                 43 AWI flystrike publications
                                                        16 Limestone Coast wool quilt range
Reproduction of the material is encouraged.
However prior permission must be obtained               17 Knitting yarns in big demand at Nundle                         44 Annual flystrike management plan
from the Editor.
                                                        18 International Woolmark Prize explained                         46 Pneumonia in lambs
DISCLAIMER                                                                                                                48 Hi-tech to prevent shearing injuries
To the extent permitted by law, Australian              21 International Woolmark Prize2021
Wool Innovation Ltd excludes all liability                                                                                50 Modular sheep delivery unit
for loss or damage arising from the use of,
                                                        22 Wool education is tops in China
or reliance on, the information contained in            23 Wool education shows value in Japan                            52 Shearer and wool handler training
this publication.
The Woolmark symbol is a certification mark             24 Latest wool fashions at regional shows                         52 Preparing sheep for shearing
registered in many countries.
© 2021 Australian Wool Innovation Ltd. All              24 Perfect Perendale wool bags                                    53 Contamination: ‘Keep the Clip Clean’
rights reserved.                                                                                                          54 Hand-on stockmanship training
ADVERTISING SALES                                                                                                         56 Horizon scholarship
Steve Luxford, Pulse Hub Pty Ltd
P 0429 699 553                                                                                                            56 Breeding Leadership applications
E steve.luxford@pulsehub.com.au
Advertising is subject to terms and conditions
                                                                                                                          58 Market Intelligence update
                                                    AWI INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
published on the ratecard, which is available                                                                             60 EMI recovering
                                                                            Sheep Production,
from Pulse Hub.                                             Marketing                                      Consultation
                                                                            Science & Technology
                                                                                                                          61 WoolQ and SustainaWOOL
ISSN                                                        Processing Innovation
1447-9680                                                   & Education Extension
                                                                                            Traceability                  62 Readers’ photos
                                                                                                                          63 Seasonal conditions forecast
FRONT COVER                                         CONNECTING WITH AWI
Woolgrower Michael Taylor with his two
daughters, Nina and Lydie, on the family farm       		 wool.com                                                           AWI E-NEWSLETTERS:
at Kentucky on the Northern Tablelands of
NSW. Michael took part in an AWI-funded                                                                                   To subscribe to the free monthly AWI e-newsletter
Natural Capital Accounting project that has         		 feedback@wool.com                                                  for woolgrowers, and the weekly wool market review
helped Michael consider the contributions that                                                                            e-newsletter, visit www.wool.com/subscribe
his property’s natural assets make to his farming
business. See pages 31-33 for details.                       wool.com/podcast
                                                                                                                          THE WOOLMARK COMPANY
Front cover, bottom right photo credit:
Maksym Belchenko                                             twitter.com/woolinnovation
                                                                                                                          		     woolmark.com

                                                             facebook.com/AustralianWoolInnovation
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                                                             Instagram.com/AustralianWool
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                                                              View Beyond the Bale online at
       This magazine is printed on PEFC             BtB       http://beyondthebale.wool.com                                      Instagram.com/thewoolmarkcompany
       (Programme for the Endorsement of
       Forest Certification) paper stock.
                                                    AWI STATE-BASED GROWER NETWORKS
                                                    AWI-supported networks are present in each state.

                                                    •        Sheep Connect NSW                                            •      BESTWOOL/BESTLAMB (VIC)
                                                    •        Sheep Connect SA                                             •      The Sheep’s Back (WA)
                                                    •        Sheep Connect Tasmania                                       •      Leading Sheep (Qld)

                                                    Find your grower network at www.wool.com/networks or call the AWI Helpline on 1800 070 099.

GD4277
ISSUE 88 SEPTEMBER 2021 - DEFENCE FORCE DRESSED IN WOOL - Australian Wool Innovation
UPFRONT      3

A LETTER FROM                                                                                     Reduced revenue
                                                                                                  = reduced investment

AWI CHAIRMAN,                                                                                     These key marketing and R&D issues for the
                                                                                                  industry, and many others, need investment.

JOCK LAURIE
                                                                                                  But AWI has been hampered in the past
                                                                                                  couple of years in this respect.
                                                                                                         In 2020/21, AWI’s expenditure ($61
                                                                                                  million) was 39% lower than it was two years
                                                                                                  ago. This was in response to the company’s
                                                                                                  deteriorating revenue which fell by 44%
Mr Laurie was elected by AWI shareholders to the AWI                                              to $57 million in 2020/21. This is the lowest
                                                                                                  annual revenue that AWI has ever had in the
Board on 20 November 2015. He was appointed as Chairman                                           whole of its 20-year history.
of the AWI Board on 30 June 2021, following Ms Garnsey’s                                                 Our total revenue is to a large extent
resignation as Chairman.                                                                          dependent on income from the wool levy,
                                                                                                  which has more than halved during the past
                                                                                                  two years due to the reduction in the wool
                                                 Marketing priorities                             levy rate from 2% to 1.5%, the unsettled EMI,
                                                 The first area of concern is the impact of       and the fall in Australia’s wool production
                                                 COVID on the global market for wool. With        caused by the drought.
                                                 the decline in demand for clothing due
                                                 to lockdowns, AWI held back a lot of its                     120
                                                 marketing funds until a time when people
                                                 started spending again. China was the                        100
                                                 first country whose economy recovered, so
                                                 we invested in a big campaign there that                      80

                                                                                                 $ millions
                                                 resulted in strong demand. Other economies
                                                 such as the UK are now recovering. It is                      60
                                                 absolutely crucial that we make sure that
                                                 wool is front of mind of consumers when                       40
                                                 they return to buying clothes.
                                                        COVID and growing concerns about                       20
                                                 the environment have focused consumers’
                                                                                                                0
                                                 attention on the eco-credentials of products
                                                                                                                        2018/19     2019/20      2020/21
                                                 and we are doing more to increase people’s
                                                 awareness of wool’s natural, renewable                             Levy revenue    Total expenditure
                                                 and biodegradable benefits. A worrying                             Other revenue
                                                 issue is the environmental impact labelling
Jock Laurie Chairman,                            proposals in the European Union that,
Australian Wool Innovation                       counterintuitively, would rate wool poorly              AWI operates in a lean, efficient
                                                 in comparison to man-made plastic fibres.        and transparent manner, but just like
                                                 We are putting a lot of effort in the EU to      any business with a reduced income,

O   n behalf of Australian woolgrowers,
    I would first like to thank the immediate
past Chairman Ms Colette Garnsey for her
                                                 help ensure that wool is considered by the
                                                 authorities correctly and appropriately.
                                                                                                  we had to make cutbacks in staffing
                                                                                                  and projects. We are dipping into the
                                                                                                  reserves which the company has built
contribution to the wool industry through        On-farm priorities                               up during past years for tough times like
her role as Chairman and as a director of        In the on-farm area, concerns about a lack of    right now. But continued drawing down
AWI. Colette’s understanding of the industry     shearers have been exacerbated by COVID,         on our reserves is not sustainable in the
beyond the farm gate has been of great value     with some uncertainty as we head into            long term. Reduced revenue equates to
to the industry.                                 spring. AWI already funds a lot of shearer       reduced investment.
       Stepping into the role of Chairman, I     and wool handler training but the industry              Our industry has many opportunities
feel honoured to be given the opportunity        needs more. It’s very important that we          but also many challenges. I assure you
to lead AWI given its critical role in           get novices involved and get them trained,       that I will work to ensure that AWI, your
supporting an industry I have been involved      but also get them into work and give them        R&D and marketing company, will operate
in all my life. I am a grazier from Walcha and   support during the following few months          in the interests of you the woolgrowers
Merinos are the backbone of my enterprise.       so they can go from shearing a handful of        of Australia that help fund AWI, and
They provide multiple income streams and         sheep to getting some more competitive           ensure the best possible results with the
have been very good for my family business       numbers, so they can make a living.              available resources.
over several generations.                               Flystrike management is the other big
       An important part of my role as           concern in the on-farm area. It is a critical
Chairman is to ensure that AWI is listening      issue and we have recently approved an
to woolgrowers and other stakeholders            extra $650,000 to fast-track the potential
about the issues that concern them,              development of a commercial vaccine. AWI
acknowledging those concerns and making          is an R&D and marketing company, so we
sure they are discussed at board level, and      fund research and provide tools, options and     More information
then agreeing on a plan to address the           market information to woolgrowers so they
                                                                                                            Hear more from Mr Laurie
issues. Everybody should have a voice,           can make up their own mind as to how best
                                                                                                            in Episode 190 of AWI’s
everybody should be heard and all views          to manage flystrike on their property. It’s
                                                                                                            The Yarn podcast, available at
should be taken seriously. I am listening        not up to AWI to tell any grower what they
                                                                                                            www.wool.com/podcast
and AWI is prioritising and addressing key       should or shouldn’t be doing; we will support
issues for the industry.                         growers’ right to make up their own mind.
ISSUE 88 SEPTEMBER 2021 - DEFENCE FORCE DRESSED IN WOOL - Australian Wool Innovation
4     UPFRONT

          Detailed information
            about what level of
           investment AWI can
       undertake for each levy
          option is included in
         the Voter Information
                 Memorandum
            being mailed out to
      woolgrowers this month.

    What is WoolPoll?                                  of WoolPoll to be changed to 5 years with the     When is WoolPoll?
    WoolPoll is a poll of eligible wool levy payers,   objective of providing greater stability in the   September: Eligible wool levy payers
    conducted every three years, to determine          levy rate. This question is being put forward     will receive their voting papers, a Voter
    the levy rate paid to AWI for industry             in the 2021 WoolPoll via the ballot paper to      Information Memorandum (containing
    research, development (R&D) and marketing.         test the preference for a 5-yearly poll more      details about how AWI proposes to invest
    Currently the levy rate is 1.5% (of the sale       widely with levy payers.                          the levy funds at each of the five levy
    price woolgrowers receive for their shorn                                                            rate options), details about AWI’s levy rate
    greasy wool).
                                                       Why vote?                                         recommendation, plus a summary of an
           At this WoolPoll, eligible woolgrowers      WoolPoll is the opportunity for levy payers       independent review of AWI’s performance
    are asked to consider five levy rate               to directly influence how much funding AWI        (2018/19 to 2020/21).
    options: 0%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%. Eligible      will receive for the ensuing period until the     Monday 13 September: Voting opens.
    woolgrowers can vote for one or more levy          next WoolPoll to deliver R&D and marketing        Voting will be by post, email, fax or online
    rates in order of preference.                      services for the Australian wool industry.        – as per the instructions that will be sent
           The levy rate that receives the                                                               with the voting papers.
    highest number of votes will be paid by            Who can vote?                                     Friday 5 November: Voting closes at 5pm
    all woolgrowers for the next three years           If you have paid $100 or more in wool levies      (AEDT).
    (2022/23 – 2024/25). The levy rate takes effect    over the past three financial years, you are      19 November: The WoolPoll result will
    from 1 July 2022.                                  eligible to vote in WoolPoll. For each $100       be announced at AWI’s Annual General
           In the 2020 WoolPoll Review, it was         of levy paid, you are entitled to one vote.       Meeting. The levy rate takes effect from
    suggested that an additional question be put       Your voting entitlement is determined from        1 July 2022.
    forward to levy payers, for the 3-yearly cycle     records of your wool sales.

                                                       Have your say on the
                                                       wool levy rate
                                                       Chairman of the WoolPoll Panel, Steven            of enormous change and opportunity for
                                                       Bolt, is a woolgrower from Corrigin,              the Australian wool industry. I think the
                                                       WA. He is principal of Claypans Merino            outlook for the wool industry is really
                                                       stud and a Director of The Livestock              positive,” Mr Bolt said.
                                                       Collective.
                                                                                                         “WoolPoll 2021 is the opportunity for
                                                       “We’re predominantly a mixed farming              woolgrowers to vote on what levy rate
                                                       operation here, so we run our Merino              they want for the next three years for
                                                       operation 50-50 with our cropping                 our industry. Your levy choice will help
                                                       operation. I’ve grown up with a real              determine the level of investment within
                                                       passion for the sheep and wool industry.          key areas such as market development,
                                                       I’m a third-generation sheep producer             on-farm research, education
                                                       and looking forward to continue for a             and training.
                                                       long time to come,” Mr Bolt said.
                                                       As Chairman of the 2021 WoolPoll Panel,           “It is vitally important for all woolgrowers
                                                       Mr Bolt has been leading the efforts to            – no matter where you live – to cast your
                                                       get a strong turn out by growers when               vote for the levy rate you want to pay.”
                                                       voting gets under way on 13 September.
    Steven Bolt, Chairman of                                                                                              Steven Bolt,
    the WoolPoll Panel.                                “It is an honour and a privilege to be                      WoolPoll Panel Chairman
                                                       Chairman of the WoolPoll panel at a time
ISSUE 88 SEPTEMBER 2021 - DEFENCE FORCE DRESSED IN WOOL - Australian Wool Innovation
UPFRONT          5

                                                         Independent
  AWI
                                                           Review of
  recommends                                             Performance
  2% levy                                              Recognising the significant challenges faced by
  The Board of AWI is recommending                    AWI and the wool industry during the past three
  woolgrowers vote for a 2% levy in                      years, a recent independent review of AWI’s
  the upcoming WoolPoll.                              performance concluded that “AWI’s performance
  AWI Chairman Jock Laurie says                         has been appropriate” and the company “has
  an increased levy from the current                            shown notable improvement”.
  1.5% will deliver more industrywide
  investment that benefits all
  Australian woolgrowers.
  “Our industry has opportunities
                                            A    WI has welcomed its most recent
                                                 independent review of performance by
                                            Accenture Strategy. The key achievements
                                                                                                   Mr McCullough commented: “For
                                                                                            woolgrowers, the report means that their
                                                                                            company, AWI, is being rigorously evaluated
  but also many challenges and
                                            highlighted in the report included              every three years, so opportunities for AWI
  that’s why we need the extra
                                            demonstrated strength in AWI’s marketing,       to do better can be identified and addressed.
  investment. Without an increase
                                            as well as its significant flexibility in              “As well as being complimentary
  in the wool levy, good projects that
                                            pivoting to digital campaigns through           on many things that AWI does, the most
  help growers will not be acted on
                                            COVID-19; and the improvement in AWI            recent report also highlighted AWI’s positive
  or delivered as quickly. It would be
                                            Board and organisational culture, being more    response to the previous (2018) review
  like fighting with one hand behind
                                            positive, constructive and collaborative.       of performance.
  our back,” he said.
                                                   “We appreciate having a regular review          “In contrast to the 2018 review’s 509-
                                            by an independent company because the           page report containing 82 recommendations,
                                            resulting report assists AWI to refine its      this year’s review has resulted in a 60-page
                                            processes and approach to deliver long-term     report containing 14 recommendations.
                                            profitability for Australian woolgrowers,”      While we will address these new
                                            AWI CEO Stuart McCullough said.                 recommendations expeditiously, the
                                                   The most recent review of                recommendations in the latest review are a
                                            performance was carried out by professional     demonstration of both how seriously we’ve
                   More information         services company Accenture Strategy, with       considered these reviews and, importantly,
                   www.woolpoll.com.au      its report (available now on the AWI website)   how far AWI has come in improving its
                                            completed in August. A summary of the           performance.”
                                            report, also prepared by Accenture, will be            This review was the first review
                                            sent to woolgrowers with their WoolPoll         against five new Performance Principles
                                            Voter Information Kit.                          contained in AWI’s new ten-year SFA
                                                   AWI’s Statutory Funding Agreement        that was agreed in October 2020 – those
                                            (SFA) with the Federal Government allows it     five Performance Principles relate to:
                                            to request AWI, every three years, to undergo   (1) stakeholder engagement; (2) research,
                                            an independent review of its performance        development & extension (including
                                            and make the results available to its           marketing); (3) collaboration; (4) governance;
                                            stakeholders. Such an independent review of     and (5) monitoring & evaluation.
                                            performance is a normal part of the WoolPoll           Overall, Accenture’s evaluation is
The 2021 WoolPoll Panel members are:
                                            cycle that AWI undertakes every three           that AWI’s performance is meeting or part
• Steven Bolt, Panel Chair
                                            years to inform woolgrowers prior to the        meeting most of the performance principles.
• Jo Hall
                                            WoolPoll vote.                                  In terms of areas for improvement, the
• Kate McBride
                                                   The report noted the “significant        report identified a need for AWI to clarify its
• Dianna Martin
                                            external and internal challenges that have      strategic focus, and opportunities for AWI to
• John Murdoch
                                            affected the wool industry and AWI over         improve its engagement with stakeholders.
• Daniel Rogers
                                            the last three years”, including COVID-19              “Although Accenture’s assessment
• Mark Waters
                                            as a major interruption to marketing and        of AWI was broadly positive, a key task for
• Michael Wright
                                            consumer purchasing and the significant         them was to identify any things we can
• Don Macdonald, AWI Board
                                            reduction in AWI’s budget.                      do better as a business. That’s what they
• Christopher Dobbie, Department
                                                   In summary, the report concluded:        have done – and I assure woolgrowers
  of Agriculture, Water and the
                                            “Given this difficult context, AWI has shown    that these opportunities for improvement
  Environment
                                            notable improvement in its performance.         will be looked at closely and addressed,”
                                            AWI has achieved several significant            Mr McCullough added. 
“The Panel’s role is to encourage all
                                            objectives with further improvement
growers to have their say,” Mr Bolt said.
                                            possible. Overall, results from activities,     More information
Contact details of the WoolPoll             surveys of levy payers and interviews           The full report and a summary report are
panel members are available at              with AWI staff suggest that despite the         available at www.wool.com/statutory-
www.woolpoll.com.au                         difficult backdrop, AWI’s performance has       obligations
                                            been appropriate.”
ISSUE 88 SEPTEMBER 2021 - DEFENCE FORCE DRESSED IN WOOL - Australian Wool Innovation
6     UPFRONT

                         AWI consultation
                         with woolgrower
                       representative bodies
                 A new method for AWI to consult with woolgrower representative bodies was
               developed with industry endorsement and rolled out in 2019. Here we outline the
                         two consultation forums and the work that they undertake.

    A    WI believes to be effective, accountable
         and productive, good consultation
    is essential.
                                                     Chair of the WICP, Lyndsey Douglas
                                                     Agricultural communications specialist
           A crucial component of AWI’s              Lyndsey Douglas has been the
    consultation with industry is with               independent chair of the WICP since
    woolgrower representative bodies. The new        July 2020. Beyond the Bale asked Lyndsey
    model for consultation that was rolled out       about the work of the consultation forums.
    in 2019 enables AWI to find out the key R&D
                                                     What have been some of the key issues
    and marketing priorities of these bodies and
                                                     raised by woolgrower organisations?
    the woolgrowers that they represent, while
    also providing them with information on          There’s a mix of macroeconomic issues
    AWI activities and performance.                  discussed, as well as localised on-farm
           In developing the new consultation        challenges, ideas and suggestions, and
    model, AWI sought to ensure that it was          plenty of feedback from woolgrowers
    inclusive of more groups, to bring feedback      for AWI on projects or initiatives it has
    from the varied regional and organisational      invested in, based on how woolgrowers
    perspectives, while ensuring there was a core    value those projects.
                                                                                                  Have the forums been successful?
    group that AWI could engage more regularly
                                                     Leading up to our August meeting, panel
    with on more specific issues.                                                                 Success for the WICP is achieved when AWI
                                                     members conveyed the concerns of
           There are two key forums through                                                       clearly hears the opinions and feedback of
                                                     woolgrowers with regard to a range of
    which AWI formally consults and engages                                                       a robust cross-section of regions, sectors,
                                                     issues, from the impact of the ongoing
    with woolgrower representative groups.                                                        studs, commercial producers, fine wool,
                                                     shortage of shearing contractors
                                                                                                  broad wools and so on that make up the
    AWI Woolgrower Industry                          through to the rating of wool under
                                                                                                  industry. Those opinions shape marketing,
                                                     the European Commission’s Product
    Consultation Panel                               Environmental Footprint system.
                                                                                                  research and development decisions for
    The AWI Woolgrower Industry Consultation                                                      the future of the wool industry.
    Panel (WICP) comprises a core group of           The meetings are a direct forum for
                                                                                                  We’re constantly reviewing and
    members from the following seven national        questions to be asked and answered.
                                                                                                  improving the efficiency of the forums.
    woolgrower organisations:                        Topics, issues and feedback can be
    1. Australian Association of Stud                raised prior to or during meetings           How would you characterise the forums?
       Merino Breeders                               and both AWI Board and senior staff
                                                                                                  Consensus isn’t necessarily the aim
    2. Australian Superfine Wool                     are present to respond, as well as the
                                                                                                  of these meetings. It’s about open,
       Growers’ Association                          Department of Agriculture.
                                                                                                  constructive and diverse input on the
    3. Australian Wool Growers Association           Has AWI’s provision of information           issues that affect woolgrowers today and
    4. WoolProducers Australia                       about AWI activities to the forums           into the future, as well as feedback on
    5. Pastoralists & Graziers Association           been well received?                          what woolgrowers believe should be the
       (PGA) – Western Australia                                                                  focus of the industry RDC.
    6. Broad wool representative                     AWI supplies the panel with a
    7. Commercial Merino Ewe Competitions            comprehensive business unit update           The meetings are part information
       Association.                                  on a range of topics and this has been       sharing, part debate, part idea generation
           The WICP also includes representatives    well received. It covers market analytics,   but at the heart of it all is a cross
    from the Department of Agriculture, Water        on-farm initiatives, process innovation,     section of individuals who – despite
    and the Environment (DAWE) and the AWI           education extension, traceability, WoolQ,    their differences of opinion and their
    Board, and is led by an independent chair.       emerging markets, fibre science,             leaning towards a particular region or
           The purpose of this forum is to ensure    extension networks, shearing, marketing,     sector – all want to create and maintain a
    a clear two-way consultation between AWI         and communications, for example.             prosperous and sustainable wool industry.
    and organisational representatives through
    to woolgrowers. WICP meetings were held
    four times during the 2020/21 financial year.          The WCG meets at least once a          plan for woolgrowers – Wool 2030. In doing
                                                    year to coincide with key dates in AWI’s      so, the WCG was joined in 2020 by next
    AWI Woolgrower                                  planning cycle, enabling industry feedback    generation representatives. 
    Consultation Group                              to be considered in the company’s decision-
    The second forum, the AWI Woolgrower            making. However, in 2020 the WCG met more     More information
    Consultation Group (WCG) is a broader           frequently (some online due to the current    Woolgrowers wanting to provide feedback
    group comprising 28 representatives of state    COVID-19 social distancing guidelines)        through the WICP or WCG are encouraged
    and regional production-based woolgrower        because the WCG was the principal oversight   to contact their member organisation.
    groups, as well as the members of the WICP.     body for delivering the 10-year strategic     www.wool.com/consultation
ISSUE 88 SEPTEMBER 2021 - DEFENCE FORCE DRESSED IN WOOL - Australian Wool Innovation
OFF         7
                                                                                                                                            FARM

                                                                                                       Royal Australian Navy (above), Royal Australian
                                                                                                       Air Force (left) and Australian Army (below)
                                                                                                       personnel wearing their General Duty dress
                                                                                                       containing Australian Merino wool.

                Australian
            Defence Force
           dressed in wool
                by Farage
All female personnel in the Australian Defence Force (ADF)
have an entitlement to wear a wool blend General Duty
dress produced by Australian clothing brand and Woolmark
licensee Farage.

A    ustralian wool is contained in the new
     General Duty dress now being worn by
female personnel in all three services of the
                                                Farage, said it was important to produce a
                                                dress for the ADF that was durable, practical
                                                and comfortable.
                                                                                                           Farage was founded in Sydney in
                                                                                                    1998 by Joe and his wife Katy, producing
                                                                                                    contemporary and modern tailoring,
ADF: the Royal Australian Navy, Australian             “We worked with AWI’s subsidiary The         with a focus on heritage, provenance
Army, and Royal Australian Air Force. It        Woolmark Company on a wool blend fabric             and authenticity. The brand has gained a
is a completely new item of (non-combat)        comprising 40% wool along with polyester            reputation for its quality and craftsmanship
clothing for the ADF, providing female          and nylon, plus a little bit of elastane to give    and continues to attract a growing number
personnel with the option of wearing a          it that extra stretch. It is a very beautiful yet   of loyal customers from across Australia.
tailored dress to present a contemporary        robust fabric that is fit for purpose,” Joe said.          It has a flagship store on Sydney’s
and stylish appearance.                                “All of the wool in the dresses is           prestigious Martin Place and a store in
       Renowned Australian brand Farage         Australian wool, with the initial 9,000             the heritage-listed Strand Arcade on Pitt
was contracted by the ADF in 2019 for the       garments manufactured onshore here in               Street. However, most of the company’s
design and production of several corporate      Australia, so the garments are very much            retailing is via the brand’s online store at
garments, in particular the General             Australian, which is very suitable given            www.farage.com.au. Online sales continue
Duty dress.                                     that they are being worn by the Australian          to grow significantly, especially since the
       Farage had previously designed and       Defence Force.”                                     COVID pandemic.
produced uniforms for the flight crew of               The dress has been certified by The                 Uniforms are an important part of
the Air Force’s 33/34 Squadron, a dedicated     Woolmark Company and carries the ‘Wool              the business. As well as supplying the ADF,
fleet servicing our top ministers and           blend performance’ logo. It is a short-sleeved,     Farage designs and produces uniforms for
international delegates.                        scoop-necked and knee-length dress that has         large and small companies; the brand has
       Following successful trials of the       been produced in brown for the Army, black          also been the official tailor to AFL team the
General Duty dress early last year by ADF       for the Navy and blue for the Air Force.            Sydney Swans for the past decade. 
personnel, from across a variety of ranks,             Farage has also produced a trench coat,
the garments commenced being issued to          for men and women, which has been issued            More information
female personnel in October.                    to some of the personnel in the Navy and            www.farage.com.au
       Founder and Director of Farage, Joe      Air Force.
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                                                                                           Andy Murray
                                                                                           takes Merino
                                                                                           wool to
                                                                                           Centre Court,
                                                            Andy Murray competing in
                                                           wool at Wimbledon, in June.
                                                                 PHOTO Clive Brunskill
                                                                                           Wimbledon
    Andy Murray competed at Wimbledon this year in a                                                       wool, primarily from Australia, provides
    Merino wool blend kit, developed in collaboration with                                                 next to skin comfort and unparalleled
                                                                                                           natural performance.
    British sportswear brand Castore and The Woolmark                                                              “Wool is really starting to make
    Company, which is available for tennis fans across                                                     a comeback in performance sportwear.
    the world to purchase.                                                                                 Although leading manufacturers and
                                                                                                           brands in this sector are already promoting
                                                                                                           the natural benefits of Merino wool as a

I     t was “Advantage Murray” at Wimbledon
      this year, due to the tennis icon wearing
    high-performance tennis apparel
                                                                 “It is a reflection of the increased
                                                         awareness of Merino wool’s benefits at this
                                                         elite level that Castore and Andy Murray
                                                                                                           performance fibre, we believe there is still
                                                                                                           further significant potential for the fibre in
                                                                                                           this sector, such as for tennis,” Stuart said.
    containing Merino wool to enhance                    approached The Woolmark Company for                       Merino wool is the world’s original
    athletic performance.                                support in developing the collection. This        performance fibre. No other fibre can match
           The apparel is part of a new tennis           partnership presented a great opportunity to      all of its natural benefits with exceptional
    collection from AMC, a premium tennis                develop a high-performance tennis product         breathability, thermoregulation and supreme
    clothing brand created by Andy Murray                and also for marketing Merino wool’s              softness next to the skin, helping tennis
    and British high-performance sports brand            technical and environmental benefits.
    Castore. The collection – the AMC X Woolmark                 “Our involvement in the project has not
    Merino Performance collection, which                 only resulted in buoyant consumer purchasing      The AMC X Woolmark Merino Performance
                                                                                                           collection has been certified by The Woolmark
    comprises elite playing kit, training kit and        of this particular wool-rich collection, but it   Company to ensure its durability, performance and
    hoodie – was developed in collaboration with         has also increased the public’s awareness of      quality. Pictured is the T-shirt from the collection.
    AWI subsidiary The Woolmark Company.                 Merino wool’s applications
           “I’ve been testing the kit for a few          and benefits in high-
    months now and am really happy with how              performance sportswear,
    it feels and performs,” said Andy just prior to      which should further
    the tournament.                                      increase demand for the
           “I work closely with the designers on         fibre in future.”
    every piece and give regular feedback; for me,
    the technical performance is vital. It’s also        Wool returns
    very important the kit is sustainable and I          an ace
    like the fact it looks and feels a bit different.”   This is the first time in
           Andy wore the Merino wool garments            the modern tennis era
    during his training for Wimbledon and for            that such a major player
    all his matches during the 2021 tournament.          as Andy Murray has worn
    The collection was launched globally to              wool at the Wimbledon
    coincide with the tournament, which started          Championships.
    on 28 June.                                                 While wool was once
           “The launch of this innovative kit            common in sporting attire
    elevates Merino wool to an entirely new              in the early days of tennis,
    level of performance on a global stage and           the emergence of synthetic
    demonstrates that Merino wool garments               fibres saw a decline in
    are both stylish and suited for use in an            the use of wool and other
    elite sporting environment and in the                natural fibres. However, the development             Billboards around
    most intense conditions,” said AWI CEO               of new manufacturing techniques combined                  London were
    Stuart McCullough.                                   with the emergence of superfine Merino                 seen during the
                                                                                                                    tournament.
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players keep cool and comfortable on                                                             Andy Murray, wearing a special version of the
                                                                                                 hoodie with the word Woolmark prominently on
court. The fibre’s excellent natural                                                             the front, at the Wimbledon pre-tournament
elasticity is ideal for stretching and                                                           press conference on 26 June.
the natural odour resistance abilities
ensures players stay feeling fresher
for longer.
                                                                                                       As well as its partnership with Andy
       Aside from its supreme
                                                                                                 Murray, Castore also has partnerships with
performance attributes, wool is a
                                                                                                 the McLaren Formula 1 team, the West
100% natural, biodegradable and
                                                                                                 Indies cricket team, Scottish football club
renewable fibre, making it the
                                                                                                 Rangers, English Premier League football
perfect choice for those seeking
                                                                                                 clubs Newcastle United and Wolverhampton
clothing that has a minimal impact
                                                                                                 Wanderers, the London-based Saracens
on the environment.
                                                                                                 rugby club and the Bahrain Victorious
The AMC X Woolmark                                                                               road cycling team. In Australia, Castore has
                                                                                                 partnerships with the West Coast Eagles
Merino Performance                                     Print and digital advertising that        AFL team and the Sydney Roosters and
collection                                       featured the collection was placed on           Melbourne Storm NRL teams. 
The AMC X Woolmark Merino Performance            billboards located around the Wimbledon
collection comprises five wool-blend circular    area of London, targeting tennis fans                        More information
knit garments: a polo shirt, shorts, T-shirt,    travelling to the tournament.                                  www.woolmark.com/
long sleeve ¼ zip and a hoodie.                                                                                  andymurray
       During the development of the             AMC and Castore                                                  www.castore.com/amc
collection, Castore and The Woolmark             AMC is a premium tennis clothing brand,
Company, and Andy Murray himself, tested         created by Andy Murray and Castore.
the fabrics for high performance attributes,     Castore was founded in 2015 and has set
such as breathability and moisture               out ambitious plans to take on global
management, to ensure a comfortable and          sportswear giants. The company operates a
high performing kit for the athlete.             digital, direct-to-consumer business model
       The fabrics have been tested according    that has allowed it to grow extremely rapidly
to strict Woolmark quality specifications and    since launch and avoid the challenges
have been produced through a Woolmark            facing many traditional brick and mortar
licensed supply chain. The products also         brands. It now sells into more than 90
comply with Castore’s high-performance           countries globally.
product criteria.
       The collection is available to purchase
(shipping worldwide) via the Castore website
at www.castore.com/amc. The collection
is also available through retail partners
including Selfridges, Mr Porter and Flannels.

Marketing
As well as being showcased to a global
audience during Andy’s on-court matches
and interviews at Wimbledon, the collection
was featured on the home pages of the
Castore and Woolmark.com websites, their
social media channels, and the social media
channels of Andy Murray and other Castore
ambassadors such as England cricketer Jos
Buttler, British Olympic swimming champion
Adam Peaty, and England and Manchester
United footballing legend Gary Neville.
                                                            Andy Murray, wearing the
       An editorial campaign resulted in                       wool blend long sleeve
coverage in many UK newspapers – from                       ¼ zip and shorts from the
the Daily Telegraph to The Sun – as well as                  AMC X Woolmark Merino
                                                          Performance collection, in a
consumer magazines such as GQ and textile                 promotional photo from the
industry trade titles. In total, the earned                     marketing campaign.
print, web and social coverage reached a
quarter of a billion people.

           Earned editorial reach

        250 million
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 Wool’s
 eco rating
 challenge
 in the EU
                                                                                                      FAST FACTS
                                                                                                      • By 2023, products for sale in the
                                                                                                        European Union (EU) could be
                                                                                                        required to include a label that
                                                                                                        provides consumers with the
                                                                                                        EU’s assessment of a product’s
                                                                                                        environmental credentials.

                                                                                                      • While this is a good initiative,
                                                                                                        the proposed EU methodology is
                                                                                                        flawed and needs revising so that
                                                                                                        wool (and other natural fibres)
                                                                                                        are on a level playing field with
                                                                                                        synthetic fibres.

 AWI is working to ensure that European Union (EU)                                                    • AWI is providing solutions to the
                                                                                                        European Commission to help
 policy makers rate wool’s environmental credentials                                                    ensure an accurate rating for
 appropriately in its Product Environmental Footprinting                                                products containing wool.
 (PEF) methodology, to prevent the introduction of a poor
 environmental score for wool on clothing labels across
 this very important market for Australian wool.

 T   he European Union (EU) is putting
     policies in place to introduce EU
 environmental labelling on consumer
                                                 most influential market-facing reporting
                                                 system for environmental credentials,
                                                 with other markets across the world
                                                                                                   • Fossil fuels (from which synthetic fibres
                                                                                                     are derived) are considered ‘sustainable’
                                                                                                     sources for textile fibres, while natural
 products, including apparel products,           potentially adopting similar initiatives in         fibres (such as wool) are rated as less
 possibly as soon as 2023. This is being done    their jurisdictions.                                sustainable than synthetic fibres.
 in an effort to guide consumers towards                Discussion regarding the proposed          • Renewable material sources (such as
 choosing the most sustainable products.         PEF methodologies is ongoing, but it is             wool) are not rewarded, while non-
         Although the wool industry              expected that legislation will be put to the        renewable sources (synthetic fibres) are
 supports the intent behind the EU initiative,   European Parliament to vote on by the end           not penalised.
 known as the Product Environmental              of 2021. Labelling of textiles using the PEF      • Biodegradable fibres (such as wool) do
 Footprinting (PEF) project, the industry        methodology is anticipated to roll out in 2023.     not receive any positive scoring, and fossil
 faces a major problem because the initiative                                                        fuel-based fibres (synthetic fibres) receive
 in its current form will, counterintuitively,
                                                 What are the flaws                                  no penalties for not being biodegradable.
 score wool and other natural fibre              in the current PEF                                • Microplastic pollution from synthetic
 products poorly.                                methodology?                                        materials does not carry any negative
         “Wool is natural, renewable and         Whilst the EU’s PEF project has positive            scoring.
 biodegradable and therefore should be well      intent, the methodology remains immature          • Natural fibres (such as wool) are
 placed to take advantage of the increasing      and doesn’t yet provide the full picture about      negatively scored by including the impacts
 consumer demand for more earth-friendly         a textile product’s sustainability.                 of forming the fibre on farm (land, water,
 products. But if the EU continues with the             PEF is built on lifecycle assessment         GHG emissions etc), while fossil fuel-
 current PEF methodologies, products made        (LCA) methodology which focuses on                  based fibres (synthetic fibres) receive no
 from wool and other natural fibres are at       measuring the harmful impacts of a product          penalties for the formation of crude oil.
 significant risk of being rated by the EU       but makes no attempt to account for                     Furthermore, there are major
 poorly compared to synthetics,” warned          positive impacts.                                 inconsistencies between the PEF and the
 AWI CEO Stuart McCullough.                             “Consequently, the facts that wool         EU’s other key environmental initiatives
         “This would result in a decline in      is renewable and can be grown again each          such as its Circular Economy Action Plan
 demand for wool products in the EU              year, and that at the end of its life wool is     (CEAP). The European Commission rightly
 because brands and consumers will look          fully biodegradable, releasing its nutrients      sees product circularity as a solution to
 for alternative fibre options that have more    back to the soil for use again, are not scored    wasteful processes like fast fashion, but
 positive ratings.”                              positively by the EU,” Stuart said.               PEF methodology has not been updated to
         This is especially important for the           “In addition to ignoring the positives     reward the inherently circular attributes of
 Australian wool industry because the            of natural fibres, PEF methodology currently      natural fibres, including renewability and
 EU currently consumes about a quarter           overlooks some of the key negatives of            biodegradability.
 of all Australian wool. Furthermore,            synthetics – for example, it fails to account           “PEF labelling arising from the current
 due to the EU being the driving force of        for the negative impacts of microplastics.”       process is not reliable and will therefore
 environmental footprinting, it is anticipated          In summary, the EU’s proposed PEF          severely inhibit the laudable intent of the
 that the PEF project will become the            labelling currently show:                         EU’s own CEAP. By following its current
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                                               Devold’s reversable
                                                  base-layers
                                                 With a focus on sustainability, Woolmark licensee Devold of
                                                 Norway last month launched a range of Merino wool base-
                                               layers that have no inside or outside, just different sides. Turn
                                                 the garment ‘inside out’ and you get a totally new garment.

                                               D    evold of Norway was founded in
                                                    1853, based on the idea of protecting
                                                people against the elements. The company
                                                                                               still have all the same benefits of the wool
                                                                                               fibre, such as temperature regulation,
                                                                                               breathability, elasticity and odour resistance.
                                                has worked with wool – a 100% natural,         Developed for cold and harsh weather,
                                                renewable and biodegradable fibre –            and ideal for skiing, the super-soft fabric
                                                throughout its 168-year history and            contains microscopic air pockets that provide
                                                today produces apparel for sports and          optimal insulation.
                                                outdoor enthusiasts.                                   Named after Kvitegga, a mountain
                                                       The company has designed a new          peak in the Sunnmøre Alps near where the
                                                range of Merino wool base-layers, with         Devold head office is still located, the base-
                                                each garment being able to be used on          layer range is made from 18.7-micron Merino
                                                both of its sides, which reduces the need      wool. The range is available in men and
                                                for extra garments. The two-in-one             women versions and comprises tops, long
                                                function also provides the option to           johns and headwear.
                                                pack smart, reduce weight and limit the                Kvitegga was a finalist in the
path, the EU risks not achieving its
                                                number of washes.                              prestigious Scandinavian Outdoor Award
objective of a climate neutral, circular EU
                                                                                               for the Autumn/Winter 2021/22 season.
economy by 2050,” Stuart said.                         The base-layers are knitted in three
                                                                                               The range is available now in stores and
       “Although current PEF methodologies      col/thread jacquard patterns so that the
                                                                                               via the Devold online shop at devold.com. 
are a threat to wool, if the methodologies      two sides of the fabric look completely
are correctly rectified, they could provide     different – there are several different
significant opportunities for wool.”            patterns in the range – but the garments

What is AWI doing
to improve wool’s
PEF rating?
AWI has been actively participating in the
PEF process, advocating for robust science
to underpin the PEF’s rating methods.
       “It is important to secure a level-
playing field for wool by ensuring PEF
textile rules and methodologies encompass
all the environmental credentials of natural
fibres and allow consumers to make a fair
and informed choice,” Stuart said.
       “On behalf of Australian
woolgrowers, AWI is working with the
International Wool Textile Organisation
(IWTO) to raise awareness of concerns with
the PEF methodology and influence EU
policy and decision makers to defer the use
of the PEF methodology on apparel labelling     The reversable base-layers in Devold’s new
until its limitations have been addressed.”     Kvitegga range for men and women enable
                                                you to have to two different designs to wear
       To amplify its campaigning, a            in the one Merino wool garment.
coalition of like-minded partners from
global natural fibre organisations, NGOs
and others have joined forces to influence
EU policy makers about the need to
improve PEF methodology and to influence
policy and legislative development.
       Stuart said AWI is engaging with the
European Commission at the highest levels
and is providing the scientific evidence to
address the PEF methodological limitations.
       “Our initial meetings with
European Commission officials have been
constructive, and a solutions-focused
review of the PEF has been provided by
AWI as follow up,” Stuart added. 
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                “Buy better, buy wool”
                This year’s Wool Week in Australia campaign from AWI helped educate consumers
              that “not all clothes are created equal”, urging them to buy better by choosing clothes
                                       made from wool, the original eco fibre.

 P       romoting the natural, renewable and
         biodegradable properties of wool is
     an important element in most of AWI’s
                                                      Campaign drives
                                                      wool purchases
                                                                                                             Many other commercially available
                                                                                                      wool garments and products located on
                                                                                                      the Woolmark.com shop page were also
     marketing of Australian wool. However,           Key messages and imagery from the               featured on the special campaign hub page,
     this year’s Wool Week campaign in                campaign were located on a campaign             driving traffic to even more online stores
     Australia really pushed that message home,       hub page on the Woolmark.com website.           containing wool products that consumers
     comparing these positive characteristics         In addition to raising awareness of wool’s      could purchase.
     with the negative, polluting attributes of       positive eco-credentials, an important                 An email and social media campaign
     synthetic fibres.                                element of the hub page was to drive            from The Woolmark Company directed
             Wool Week is an annual initiative        purchases of wool products at retail.           consumers to the hub page. The Woolmark
     of AWI and its subsidiary The Woolmark                 Specially photographed wool               Company has more than 756,000 followers
     Company. It arose from the global Campaign       garments from brand partners were featured      globally on Facebook and 86,000 followers
     for Wool that aims to educate consumers          on the hub page with links pointing to the      globally on Instagram. Six high profile
     about the natural benefits of wool and           brands’ online stores at which consumers        ‘influencers’, with a total following of more
     increase sales of wool product.                  could purchase the products. The                than 300,000 on Instagram, were engaged to
             “The theme of the campaign this year     brands featured included: Country Road,         amplify the campaign by posting items on their
     was that clothes made from wool are better       Sportscraft, R.M. Williams, Oroton, Assembly    social media channels about the benefits of
     for the environment than clothes made from       Label, Arnsdorf, Jacinta James, McIntyre        wool and drive consumers to the hub page.
     synthetic fibres, which are derived from         Merino, Wah-Wah, ioMerino, Nagnata,                    The campaign achieved 5.7 million
     fossil fuels and crude oil,” said AWI CEO        Humphrey Law, Lindner Quality Socks,            impressions, which was above target.
     Stuart McCullough.                               Helen Kaminski and Seljak.                             A poster campaign was also run in
             Using simple                                                                                                    Melbourne, Canberra and
     but clever imagery of                                                                                                   Newcastle which featured
     mocked-up clothing tags                                                                                                 the educational wool care
     on wool garments, the                                                                                                   labels and a QR code to
     Wool Week ‘Ready to Care’                                                                                               the Woolmark.com hub.
     campaign highlighted                                                                                                    The poster campaign
     the negative impacts                                                                                                    had a reach of 3.6 million
     on the environment                                                                                                      people. 
     that clothes made from
     synthetic fibres have, in                                                                                              More information
     comparison to clothes                                                                                                  www.woolmark.com/
     made from wool. Facts                                                                                                  buybetter
     used on the wool clothing
     tag imagery included:
     • “I won’t harm our
        ocean life because I’m
        made of Merino wool”
     • “I’ll last a lifetime
        because I’m made with
        Merino wool”
     • “You’d be wearing
        plastic if I was
        polyester”
             The fact that
     wool is a natural fibre
     produced responsibly by
     Australian woolgrowers
     was another element
     of the campaign, with
     video clips of Australian                           Clever campaign imagery
     woolgrowers showcasing the environmental               of mocked-up clothing
     credentials of their on-farm practices.                tags on wool garments
                                                          emphasised the benefits
             With most farms in Australia family       for the environment of wool
     owned and operated, it was emphasised that            compared to synthetics.
     Australian woolgrowers are always thinking
     about their family’s next generation and how
     to preserve their property’s natural resources
     in the long-term.                                                               The Woolmark Company (left) and influencers (right) posted images
                                                                                      on social media of wool apparel alongside comments advocating
                                                                                              the natural benefits and eco-credentials of wool.
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Natural dyes for                                                                                  Natural dyes…

a natural fibre
                                                                                                  • are created from renewable
                                                                                                    and natural sources.

                                                                                                  • are biodegradable in land
                                                                                                    and marine environments.
As fashion and textile brands focus more and more on the
eco-credentials of their products, there has been renewed                                         • provide a superior natural
interest in natural dyes, which is good news for wool as                                            aesthetic and look.
the fibre works well with natural dyes.

E   vidence of textile dyeing dates back
    thousands of years to ancient Egypt and
beyond. Virtually all dyes were derived from
natural materials until the mid-nineteenth
century when the large-scale use of natural
dyes declined due to the invention and
widespread availability of synthetic dyes.
       However, the demand for natural
dyes in the fashion and textile industries is
experiencing a resurgence.
       Natural dyes are extracted from
natural materials such as plants, minerals
and even shells and insects.
       Plant-based natural dyes include woad,
indigo, saffron and madder. Invertebrate
natural dyes include Tyrian purple, cochineal
                                                  Woolmark licensee Tintoria di                   2020 International Woolmark Prize
and crimson kermes. Other naturally
                                                  Quarenga, located at Biella in Italy, has       winner Richard Malone, in addition to
occurring dyestuff alternatives include
                                                  created a natural dyeing process called         several other recent finalists including
bacteria derived dyestuff and bi-product
                                                  NATURALE® that uses more than 200               2021 winner Matty Bovan, used natural
dyes (such as dyes from food waste).
                                                  natural ingredients – such as flowers,          dyes in their wool collections. In
       Natural fibres such as wool absorb
                                                  leaves, berries and roots – to create           Richard Malone’s winning collection,
natural dyes better than synthetic textile
                                                  a wide range of colours and shades              extracts have been taken from the
fibres. The dyes have been proven to work
                                                  suitable for dyeing wool and other              vembadam plant to produce a lilac
well with wool textiles to produce a superior
                                                  natural fibres. The wool products               colour, sky blue is achieved from the
natural aesthetic quality and look.
                                                  manufactured using the dyeing                   clitoria plant, marigold and myrobalan
       Some dye manufacturers are successfully
                                                  process have been rigorously tested             was used to complement the colour
producing natural dyes in a commercially
                                                  for quality and approved under the              from the karungali plant and the
usable form at an industrial scale.
                                                  Woolmark Certification Program. In              wedlia plant produced luscious greens
       Fabric and yarn dyed with natural
                                                  addition to having its own collection of        for the collection.
dyes are contained in the latest edition of
                                                  natural dyed yarns, the company can
The Wool Lab Digital sourcing guide at
                                                  dye its customers’ own fibre, top and
www.woolmark.com/thewoollab – view the
                                                  yarn using the NATURALE® process.
‘Living’ theme. 
                                                  www.tintoriadiquaregna.it
More information
www.woolmark.com/naturaldyes

                                                 Or no dye at all!
                         Melbourne-based knitwear brand
                         McIntyre recently launched a new                      Items in the latest collection of
                         collection, known as RAW, made from             Australian knitwear brand Wolfgang
                         untreated wool of black and brown                  Scout are available undyed in the
                         sheep from several Australian farms.           wool’s natural colour. Wolfgang Scout
                         The wool was then blended together                   uses 100% Australian superfine
                         to achieve an ‘Expresso’ coloured                    Merino wool yarn sourced from
                         yarn, which is Woolmark-certified.              the Finnigan familys’ Kia Ora Merino
                         No chemicals are used in the whole               property at Winslow in Victoria. The
                         process, leaving the jumper with its              rest of the brand’s knitwear range
                         natural lanoline smell and hand feel.                  is responsibly dyed using non-
                                                                         hazardous, non-chrome, low impact
                         www.mcintyremerino.com/collections/               dyes with minimal water wastage.
                         raw-collection
                                                                                       www.wolfgangscout.com
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                                                                                                      The Hedrena brand, which specialises in 100%
                                                                                                      Australian Merino wool, is now owned by iconic
                                                                                                      Australian retailer Fella Hamilton and the
                                                                                                      Hedrena garments are available to purchase
                                                                                                      at all Fella Hamilton stores across Australia
                                                                                                      and online. Pictured left, the man is wearing a
                                                                                                      short sleeve crew neck tee, while the woman
                                                                                                      is wearing a long sleeve zip polo and interlock
                                                                                                      roam relaxed fit pant – all made from 100%
                                                                                                      Australian Merino wool.

                                                                                                      Australian wool and
                                                                                                      Australian made
                                                                                                      Taking ownership of Hedrena last year, and
                                                                                                      proud of its Australian-made heritage, Fella
                                                                                                      Hamilton recently brought the production of
                                                                                                      its Hedrena garments back to Australia.
                                                                                                              “Not only is the fabric produced
                                                                                                      using wool from Australian Merino sheep,
                                                                                                      but all the garments are designed by us in
                                                                                                      Melbourne and are locally manufactured
                                                                                                      exclusively for us right here in Australia,”
                                                                                                      said Managing Director and son of Fella
                                                                                                      Hamilton, David Hamilton.
                                                                                                              “We are very proud to be supporting

     Hedrena’s
                                                                                                      local farmers using 100% Australian
                                                                                                      Merino wool.
                                                                                                              “The benefits of wool for comfort and

     Aussie wool
                                                                                                      style through both warm and cool months
                                                                                                      have meant we can sell the products all year
                                                                                                      round. The yarn is dyed in seasonal colours
                                                                                                      to fit back in with the rest of our range.

     apparel at
                                                                                                              “We sell a wide variety of tops from
                                                                                                      singlets and tees to cardigans and skivvies.
                                                                                                      Hedrena has even allowed us to venture into

     Fella Hamilton
                                                                                                      Merino wool pants, sleepwear, intimates and
                                                                                                      menswear.”

                                                                                                      Connecting consumers
                                                                                                      with woolgrowers
                                                                                                      Hedrena products continue to use high-
                                                                                                      quality Australian Merino wool that its
                                                                                                      customers know and love. The wool is
                                                                                                      now sourced from wool-growing clients of
                                                                                                      AWN through AWN’s DNA (Direct Network
                                                                                                      Advantage) Provenance program.
                                                                                                            Each Hedrena garment carries a QR code-
                                                                                                      enabled DNA swing ticket. When scanned,
     Made using 100% Australian Merino wool, the                                                      the QR code allows Hedrena customers to
                                                                                                      view a short video from one of the regions
     Woolmark-certified garments in Fella Hamilton’s                                                  from where wool for Hedrena was sourced,
     Hedrena collection showcase quality, style and a                                                 showcasing a unique Australian wool
     distinctive Australian wool provenance story.                                                    provenance story.
                                                                                                            “The DNA program offered by AWN

 F      ounded in 1992 by woolgrowers Hedley
        and Irena Earl on their superfine wool-
     growing property near Geelong, Hedrena’s
                                                    Merino wool apparel. Hedrena products
                                                    are Woolmark-licensed and stocked in Fella
                                                    Hamilton’s 31 stores Australia wide, as well as
                                                                                                      has given us that extra ability to share
                                                                                                      important information with our customers.
                                                                                                      Having a great Australian story that they
     roots are strongly embedded in the world of    through its mail order and online store.          can follow is emotive and gives us pride in
     Merino wool production. Hedrena’s founders           Itself celebrating 52 years in Australian   our offer,” David said.
     pioneered the next to skin base-layer market   fashion, the Melbourne-based and family-                “In a world of synthetic fashion,
     for Merino wool making beautiful soft, pure    run Fella Hamilton business, named after the      we provide our customers with a natural,
     wool garments that are made to last.           brand’s founder, has grown from a wholesale       sustainable clothing choice.”
            Nearly 30 years later, the Hedrena      business, supplying garments to the leading
     brand is owned by iconic Australian            department stores of the day, to become one       More information
     retailer Fella Hamilton and still provides     of Australia’s most iconic and successful         www.fellahamilton.com.au/hedrena
     women with high quality 100% Australian        fashion brands.                                   www.awn.net/dna
OFF         15
                                                                                                                                       FARM

Custom tailoring                                                                                 certified Australian Merino wool suiting
                                                                                                 fabrics to choose from, ranging from Super

made easy
                                                                                                 110s to Super 180s.”

                                                                                                 Shop online or at
                                                                                                 a showroom

with InStitchu                                                                                   Customers can order garments online from
                                                                                                 the comfort of their own home, with two
                                                                                                 straight forward options. Firstly, they can
                                                                                                 select a product and then customise it (with
www.InStitchu.com is an Australian tailoring brand that offers                                   the ability to choose all the details including
its customers customisable, made-to-measure apparel,                                             the type of lapels, buttons, pockets, closure,
                                                                                                 monogramming and more); or secondly, if
including men’s and women’s suits and casualwear crafted                                         the customer knows exactly what they want
from Woolmark-certified Australian Merino wool.                                                  then they can design a garment from scratch
                                                                                                 using their online design tool.

C   o-founded by James Wakefield and
    Robin McGowan in 2012, InStitchu
(www.InStitchu.com) is an innovative
                                                        While InStitchu was initially launched
                                                  as a men’s custom, made-to-measure suiting
                                                                                                         Alternatively, customers can visit one
                                                                                                 of InStitchu’s 13 showrooms across Australia
                                                  brand, it last year expanded its range into    (there is also one in New York), where the
suiting brand that bridges the gap between        women’s custom, made-to-measure suiting        customer is measured by an expert stylist,
old world tailoring traditions and the            and has recently launched a customisable,      can peruse hundreds of premium fabrics and
modern digital retail landscape, offering         casual offering for men.                       customisation options as they design their
a luxury experience and products at an                                                           garment(s) down to the detail – all with a
affordable price (men’s and women’s custom,       Premium Merino                                 whisky or champagne in hand.
tailored suits from $599).                        wool fabrics                                           The order is then sent to InStitchu’s
       The brand provides customers with          Using only premium, natural fibres, all the    tailoring partner in China where the fabric
the ability to design and customise their own     wool fabrics used by InStitchu are 100%        is laser cut to the customer’s specific design
garments from anywhere in the world in            Australian Merino wool, certified by The       and measurements and constructed by one
minutes using their simple online design tool     Woolmark Company.                              of its expert tailors.
on the InStitchu website, or alternatively in           “Nothing comes close to wool as a                “Everything we make is crafted to
person at one of their 13 luxury showrooms        premium suiting fabric, particularly if it’s   the customer’s precise measurements and
across Australia.                                 100% Australian Merino wool,” said InStitchu   design,” said InStitchu Co-Founder Robin
       Every InStitchu garment is made            Co-Founder James Wakefield.                    McGowan. “With a combination of the best
from scratch by their expert tailors to the             “All of InStitchu’s suit fabrics are     fabrics in the world, leading technology,
customer’s exact measurements and design,         Woolmark certified, meaning that they have     and premium customer service, we provide
                           and is delivered to    been certified through rigorous Woolmark       our customers with great value and high-
                           the customer’s door    testing to ensure the highest quality.         quality garments such as 100% Australian
                           in just 3-4 weeks.     InStitchu has hundreds of Woolmark-            Merino wool suits, jackets, trousers coats
                                                                                                 and casualwear.”
                                                                                                         Every InStitchu order (whether placed
                         The InStitchu online design tool enables customers to
                         design a garment from scratch online or choose a product                online or in a showroom) comes with the
                         and customise it online to their own specifications.                    brand’s Perfect Fit Guarantee – whereby
                                                                                                 InStitchu will cover customer alterations
                                                                                                 or remake their garments if they don’t fit
                                                                                                 perfectly, free of charge.

                                                                                                 The recent addition of a
                                                                                                 more casual offering
                                                                                                 The InStitchu brand has recently introduced
                                                                                                 a selection of more casual, customisable
                                                                                                 garments for men.
                                                                                                        “This is a reflection of the
                                                                                                 casualisation of the workforce and new
                                                                                                 demand for customisable, made to measure
                                                                                                    casualwear,” Robin said.
                                                                                                             “Our Autumn/Winter 2021
                                                                                                        collection includes wool sweaters,
                                                                                                           customisable wool overcoats, jackets
                                                                                                            and vests and our Australian
                                                                                                            Merino wool customisable suits,
                                                                                                            jackets and trousers – perfect
                                                                                                         for work (at home or in the office)
                                                                                                      and play.
                                                                                                         “The collection, which is titled ‘Lay
                                                                                                 Of The Land’ is rich in Merino wool, and a
                                                                                                 celebration of our Australian landscape, our
                                             This InStitchu turtleneck sweater worn under a      farmers, and the different lives we all lead. It
                                           custom, made-to-measure Merino InStitchu wool
                                          suit provides a mix of classic tailoring and modern    is about rugged practicality at its core.” 
                                                          fashion in a very sophisticated way.
                                                                                                 More information:
                                                                                                 www.InStitchu.com
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