Textiles - Monsoon season wool
An Indian pioneer of linen manufacturing has joined with AWI to create wool and linen blends for warmer regions
AWI and Jayashree Textiles Ltd have launched an innovative range of super-lightweight Australian Merino wool and linen blended fabrics. Jayashree Textiles is part of the Aditya Birla Group, which is one of the largest diversified conglomerates in India, with a turnover of US$125 million. Jayashree is recognised as the pioneer of linen in India, having established Linen Club, a branded linen fabric line sold through 500 retail outlets. It also sells linen yarn to domestic and international buyers.
The new Merino Linen collection was launched in India in January to designers, manufacturers and retailers. It can also be purchased in Australia.
As a result of a rising economy in India, emerging young urban professionals are now travelling more widely around the world and becoming increasingly fashion-conscious. The Merino Linen lightweight range of fabrics has been created in response to this trend.
AWI has worked closely with Jayashree on the Merino Linen fabric development: identifying the raw materials required, determining the specifications of yarns and fabrics and the required finish, creating and testing initial samples and producing the final fabric collection.
The unique finishing technique applied to the new range of Merino Linen fabrics uses an air-flow machine – running the machine dry to break up the fabric and make it softer. This technique achieves the soft, lightweight finish without having to use silicone.
A standard Merino/linen blend is about 300 grams per square metre (gsm) in thickness. However, due to new finishing techniques introduced to Jayashree by AWI, the new collection has Merino Linen fabrics as light as 160gsm.
Jayashree’s head of product development, Abhey Nair, is confident the company’s business partners, which include garment makers, designers, and retailers, will welcome the innovative Merino Linen range of fabrics that are like no other in the Indian market.
These super-lightweight products will be particularly suitable for southern cities, such as Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
After assessing sales of the Merino Linen fabric range nationally, the two organisations will introduce the fabrics to the global industry at textile and design trade shows.
AWI’s global product development manager Jimmy Jackson is optimistic this project will substantially increase the demand for Australian Merino wool. He says the blend of the two fibres by Jayashree, a high-profile and recognised manufacturer, will take demand to a new level: “The trans-seasonality of the fabric collection along with the natural benefits of linen and Australian Merino wool make it very promising.”
More information: www.jayashree-iril.com
See also: Wool goes al fresco and New heights for ski wool.
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