Global celebrations for the wool nation
The 200th anniversary of the Australian wool trade is being marked with a series of special events around the world, as well as in Australia.
To commemorate this momentous occasion in the UK, AWI presented a replica cloth of the coat Reverend Marsden wore when introduced to King George III in 1807 to the Australian High Commissioner, at a function on 19 June at Australia House in London.
The UK launch was followed on 21 June by an announcement in Florence at the men’s fashion trade fair Pitti Uomo of a new international designer protégé program.
The Protégé Project will see top fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld, Donatella Versace, Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein, Paul Smith, and the editor of Vogue Italia, Franca Sozzani, mentoring five young protégés, who will each create a fashion collection made primarily from Australian Merino wool.
“The Protégé Project is supported by the most prestigious names in global textiles,” says AWI’s regional manager for Italy, Fabrizio Servente. “We are delighted that weavers such as Cerruti, Ermenegildo Zegna, Loro Piana, Reda, Vitale Barberis Canonico and spinners such as Chiavazza and Zegna Baruffa have come on board. The project highlights the strong relationship Australian Merino wool has with the Italian fashion and textile industries, who have always held Merino wool in the highest esteem.”
The five protégés will unveil their Australian Merino wool collections at a special event at Pitti Uomo at Palazzo Corsini, Florence, in January 2008.
AWI’s collaboration with the world’s most respected bespoke tailors and their representative organisation, Savile Row Bespoke, was launched at a unique event held in June at the British Ambassador’s residence in Paris.
The Savile Row event highlighted the influence of quality bespoke tailoring in fashion and also recognised the important role Australian Merino wool has played within the history of bespoke tailoring, dating back as far as the early 1800s when the trade of wool was first established between Australia and the UK.
Images: AWI CEO Craig Welsh (left) with Australian High Commissioner to the UK Richard Alston at Australia House, London.
Return to Beyond the Bale Issue 29 index page.