The Launch of Wool Week by Charles Ross

Salts Mill hosted the Campaign for Wool's launch event leading to the current Wool Week last Thursday night. The Heritage site in Bradford (the cultural capital of the worlds's wool industry) is to the keratin fibre what Bournville is to Chocolate. The Campaign for Wool hosted the event that was attended by the great & the good of the industry who create the community of this traditional British textile industry. British Wool, Abraham Moon & Sons, Hainsworth, H Dawson, & Laxtons were all spotted in the audience.

The gathering was steered by Peter Ackroyd, MBE, the COO of the Campaign for Wool - who gave an update on matters, including a message from the Patron: HRH King Charles, & the new promotional film (Why Wool Matters created by Lloyd Almond), which won the Best Fashion Documentary at the recent London Fashion Film Festival and will continue the focus and messaging for Wool Month. It will circulate at the same time that Woolmark's Wear Wool, Not Fossil Fuel promotion (Woolmark is driven by the Australasian producers, but helps to raise the awareness of the product category).

You can see these films here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m21Xn8R7188

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywKsiXaBVuY

The Marks & Spencer's team turned up with items from their archive but also to highlight the lines of thought that went into create the Originals Collection which champions the values of the British brand in terms of both provenance, & the Plan A commitment. The menswear wool range is as responsible as it exists, but also includes re-shored manufactured items using British Wool. Karen Hall, Head of Design Menswear, took the audience through the development

Credit must go to Campaign for Wool for providing the occasion for the wool industry to work together

Wool Week itself launched at the weekend with Kate Humble leading the Annual Sheep Drive and Livery Fair in the City of London.