"With wool just being 2% of textile industry things are not really hunky dory for merino wool especially when it is ambitiously looking for growth and incremental rise in its global outreach & status. Moreover in the ever connected world collaboration is the key, says Alex Lai, GM Technical (Greater China & Emerging Markets Asia) on the sidelines of HKFW Spring/ Summer 2017. Handshake with all the forces in textile fibre trade is the way forward."

With wool just being 2% of textile industry things are not really hunky dory for merino wool especially when it is ambitiously looking for growth and incremental rise in its global outreach & status. Moreover in the ever connected world collaboration is the key, says Alex Lai, GM Technical (Greater China & Emerging Markets Asia) on the sidelines of HKFW Spring/ Summer 2017. Handshake with all the forces in textile fibre trade is the way forward. Therefore, the technical product development team at ‘The Woolmark Company’ is currently hands full in terms of working with global brands of repute across the product category. So against the given backdrop having a global resource center housed in a majestic building and environs overseeing the pristine sea, and also this hub is a home to many global players likes of Li & Fung, Levi’s and Adidas to name a few all in the close vicinity. Putting the facts in context this Lab shall oversee the biggest global market in the whole world for wool processing in the form of Chinese market which accounts for over 75% of global processing, followed by distant 2nd in the form of Indian processing facilities which roughly contributes to 8% of the global wool processing. According to Alex global demographics is something which can be characterized as EU likes wool, China again cherishes wool

US compared to their market size disproportionately are not as wool hungry ‘all thanks to not so easy care’ what they look for in any general product/ garment. Therefore to try and seek the over trading of this fiber Woolmark is very consciously looking to break ground in research and development ensuring wool need not required to be dry cleaned in every single article it produces.

Speaking aloud he says we are already broken an ice with fledgling denim industry, and quite a few article out of years long research and development have seen broad day light and more is waiting to be tapped. Also in footwear segment out of the box developments engaging global front-line brands like Adidas has resulted in spectacular work, which going forward shall start meeting the eye, opines confident Alex. The ground breaking work doesn’t just end here. The wool which is generally characterized by good breath ability, water repellent property, reasonably decent moisture management etc. is been opportunistically exploited.

To catch the global users fancy it has taken a route of top down approach wherein they are sensibly pushing brands to come on the board to influence the lower end of the retail pyramid. And in the changing paradigm aspirational brands are become the brand ambassadors/ endorsers for this wonder fiber. As this is converging to the brands’ incremental need and compulsion to look & supply beyond the obvious. And this brings them and woolmark on the same page. Resultant discoveries are there to see such as amazingly interesting pure wool wind cheaters, sport goods, out of the box fashion accessories etc. to create a differentiated proposition for brands which always clamor for something beyond ordinary.

Look no further woolmark lab’s open door policy & awesome team spirit is helping brands push all the boundaries and spring surprises ‘spring season in season out’ (and that is what the management is vying for since a while now) and new normal is that wool is not only for Winter season but it is all season wonder now and is a divine boon to the textile industry.

Not only that it is treading on less travelled roads viz. sectors like sportswear, circular/ flat knitting in Tees, and Travel shirts, as it doesn’t crumple so easily and recovers wrinkles faster than many other fibers to occasionally replace performance fabrics. Also wool is trying to foray in areas where there are lot of traction segments like casual and smart dressing & seeking to veer away from its existing ‘only formal segment image’. Fashion accessories are another area where it is attempting its bit to gain incremental footing for instance ties, socks, stolls and shawls. Besides in applications like Upholstery, pillows and other unconventional media such as blending successfully with paper is breaking wool free. Therefore it is no gainsaying wool is set to soar new heights.

You can also swear by its ecofriendly nature something lately has caught the fancy of millennial/ new age evolving consumer. And initiatives like eco-indexing to figure out how conscious, responsible and sustainable any brand is making a strong case for wool. So this versatile fabric is a true homage to human endeavour and enduring quest for sustainable life.

All above cannot really happen but by taking all the stakeholders on the board viz. Designers, Machinery/ Technology providers/ Brands and garmenters and so and so forth. Here Alex was more than generous in his acknowledgement to extend gratitude to Shima Seiki in particular for its support & co-operation.

Trade Dynamics

Price is another barrier which restrains the democratization of wool, so here again wool is gaining currency because of the basic approach of trying to ramp up the scales in every single article it diversifies to. As a matter of fact lately the wool prices have firmed on the back of some of changing habits of Chinese buyers and users (where the propensity of per head consumption has suddenly gone northwards). Unfortunately it is a short term deterrent for global wool trade dynamics. Additionally in perpetuity the supply conundrum i.e. continuous toss between whether to supply meat/ wool going in the minds of ‘Australian wool growers’ creates a state of quandary. But that been mentioned the wool supply remains more or less stable, so much so that Woolmark is trying aggressively pull and push technique to widen and deepen its base within the T&C space, and yet true to its inherent positioning it remains broadly a niche and protected fiber.