Inaugural Wool LabPrint

The Wool Lab has become an important tool for the fashion industry, including brands, retailers, manufacturers, spinners, weavers and the media, offering a collective vision of the ultimate in wool trends.

The seasonal guide is organised by macro-trends, sourcing inspiration from fashion, design, lifestyle, music, pop culture and many different fields.

The Wool Lab contains a selection of the most innovative and quality wool fabrics and yarns available on the market from the best spinners and weavers in the world. They are accompanied by a collection of images, describing the mood, style and atmosphere of each specific theme. To complete the guide, The Woolmark Company has added an exclusive collection of precious pieces, from the company’s archive, to stimulate contemporary interpretations of great wool productions of the past.

The Wool Lab is the result of intensive research, aiming to explore the infinite potential of Merino wool and the enhancement of its natural quality and the valuable characteristics it gains through innovative production processes and special treatments.

The Tweed Run

The first Wool Lab was launched at Pitti Uomo in Florence, on June 14 2011. The Woolmark Company, in partnership with the London-based bicycle group that initiated the original Tweed Run, hosted a British-style bicycle ride throughout the streets of Florence.

The Tweed Run was initially held to launch the trend of metropolitan bicycle rides back in 2008, with special attention to bicycles which were required to be vintage, avant-garde and super-accessorised models. The Woolmark Company approached this group based on the link to the traditional wool tweed that they showcase so effectively being originally British, custom made and very elegant.

A key element of The Tweed Run was the original 20 riders who came from London and were special guests at the Woolmark stand. The Tweed Run generated significant media attention for the Woolmark brand and the launch of The Wool Lab (for example, see this Vogue Italia article ).

Other trade shows where Autumn Winter 2012/13 edition of The Wool Lab has been exhibited include:

• SpinExpo, New York, USA, July 2011
• Sourcing at Magic, Las Vegas, USA, August 2011
• SpinExpo, Shanghai, China, September 2011
• Munich Fabric Start, Munich, Germany, September 2011
• Milano Unica, Milan, Italy, September 2011
• Première Vision, Paris, France, September 2011
• Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week, October 2011

For further information and for the opportunity to view The Wool Lab, please contact your local Woolmark office.