The Woolmark Company has returned to Première Vision Paris, which took place last week, showcasing the latest edition of The Wool Lab along with recent innovations in Merino wool and highlighting the fibre as the premier ingredient in luxury apparel.

“Despite the world continuing to become increasingly casual in clothing choices, we are still experiencing a rise in premium apparel, across both knitwear and wovens,” commented The Woolmark Company Global Strategic Advisor Peter Ackroyd.

Among the company’s exhibits were warp-knit Merino fabrics that extend the range of options for using Merino wool in sports, casualwear and business casual. Warp-knitted fabrics, possessing the stability of wovens with the elasticity of knits, appear an ideal compromise between wovens and jersey weft-knits, the company reports.

Knitted Denim

The Woolmark Company presented a key selection of innovative wool fabrics, highlighting the fibre’s extraordinary benefits and vast potential. New innovations pave the way forward for the Merino wool industry, allowing it to be a dynamic one that is forever changing, the company reports.

Since the launch of Wool Denim woven fabrics – presented at last year’s Première Vision trade show – The Woolmark Company has worked with its partners to develop a wool denim-like yarn to create Knitted Denim. Knitted Denim is popular for womenswear because of its figure-hugging properties and next-to-skin comfort. The fabric can also be used for men’s trouser bottoms in a higher density fabric.

The Wool Lab

“France has long-remained the epicentre of womenswear fashion, luxury and excellence,” said The Peter Ackroyd. “It has always been one of the most important countries for presenting fabric designs and innovations to the global wool community. The Wool Lab remains one of The Woolmark Company’s most significant tools. It inspires and informs the textile industry, connecting buyers with suppliers of the world’s best commercially available fabrics and yarns.”

For Autumn/Winter 2016-17, The Wool Lab presents seven inspiring themes, four of which are dedicated to womenswear, as wool fabrics continue to become increasingly popular outside of traditional men’s tailoring.

In Normdecor, a contemporary and cosmopolitan woman redefines her concept of elegance through wearing structured but comfortable clothes with deluxe touches; Metropolitan Chalet presents a comfortable and classy style for metropolitan women; Androgyne leverages from the tradition of made-to-measure suits for a classy women; and finally, wool accessories become the key item of the wardrobe in Complements.

Other textile innovations

Wool Denim (woven) represents a more traditional approach to denim fabrics than Knitted Denim. In Wool Denim the undyed weft yarn is replaced with machine-washable extrafine Merino wool yarns, adding warmth, comfort and improved moisture management.

Made from 100% Australian Merino wool NEULANA Air is a premium woven fabric, which is said to offer warmth without the weight. By using special treatment technology, a loose-yet-full structure is formed inside the yarn, raising the ratio of fabric volume and weight. The end result is an air-like, soft fabric with voluminous characteristics and an exquisitely soft handle.

Mottled Merino woven fabrics feature a special yarn that has been created by randomly mixing untreated and anti-felt treated regions within the same yarn. This creates a highly textured and mottled aspect after fabric or garment milling.

www.woolmark.com