More Australian wool in Portugal, por favor
With Northern European brands and retailers increasingly ‘proximity sourcing’ garments from Portugal, AWI has been working with the country’s textile supply chain to help build its use of Merino wool.
As part of its Emerging Markets Strategy, AWI has identified Portugal as a country that could potentially be a much larger manufacturing market for Australian wool. This is due to brands and retailers in Northern European markets, where wool is consumed in high volumes, increasingly seeking the security of sourcing its garments from countries relatively close to home, such as Portugal.
This shift to proximity sourcing is partly a desire to avoid the logistical delays faced with transporting products from further afield; they want to lessen lead times as well as risks. In addition, the textile industry’s focus on sustainability and traceability has meant that brands and retailers are increasingly examining ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the their supply chains.
The Portuguese textile industry is well suited for opportunities with wool, partly due to the industry’s already established access and supply of custom manufacturing to the Northern European market. Another strong point is its strong circular knitwear sector, and the level of its highly skilled labour for technical garments. Furthermore, an overall strategy of the Portuguese textile industry is to focus on sustainability which gives this market added sourcing desirability for brands.
AWI through its subsidiary The Woolmark Company has been increasingly working with the textile supply chain in Portugal to increase its use of Australian wool. Read on to find out about a few of AWI’s recent initiatives.
Wool Insights & Innovations workshop in Portugal
Attendees at the Wool Insights & Innovations workshop.
For the first time in Portugal, The Woolmark Company in April hosted two workshops that highlighted the benefits and opportunities of Australian Merino wool for the Portuguese textile and clothing industry, with the aim to inspire the supply chain to choose the fibre in their upcoming collections.
As well as a series of presentations about the fibre, sustainability, innovation and market trends, The Woolmark Company team showcased a fantastic selection of innovative wool garments from categories including sport, workwear, fashion, automotive, and seamless and whole garment knitwear. Attendees could touch and handle the garments which helped stimulate their creativity and desire to innovate with and choose wool.
Held in the city of Porto, the workshop was attended by 79 people from 43 companies. It was well received by those attending, which included CEOs, business directors, design and development teams, and innovation and sustainability officers. There was high interest to increase their wool consumption and start new collaborations with wool in the Portuguese market.
The Wool Lab special edition: Out of Portugal
The special ‘Out of Portugal’ edition of The Wool Lab is available online at www.woolmark.com/the-wool-lab
Earlier this year, The Woolmark Company issued a special edition of its The Wool Lab sourcing guide which was devoted entirely to Portugal’s textile supply chain. Titled ‘Out of Portugal’, the edition contains nearly 100 quality wool fabric swatches from 30 of Portugal’s best spinners, weavers, knitters and home textile manufacturers.
This special edition of The Wool Lab contains swatches of wool fabric and yarns that are commercially available on the market from The Woolmark Company’s supply chain partners in Portugal. It aims to position the Portuguese textile industry as a valued source of Merino wool fabrics for international brands for their upcoming collections and thereby increase the demand for Merino wool.
The Woolmark Company has also included fabric swatches from Portuguese manufacturers in its regular seasonal editions of The Wool Lab.
Student education seminars
An education seminar run by The Woolmark Company at the ESAD College of Art and Design in Porto.
The Woolmark Company’s student education strategy has been extended to Portugal with seminars there to educate tertiary fashion and textile students about the premium benefits of Australian wool. The seminars highlight Merino wool as a natural, sustainable fibre with unique performance qualities, offering plenty of potential for innovation.
By educating and inspiring students in the early stage of their careers about the properties and benefits of Merino wool, The Woolmark Company is laying a foundation of knowledge and appreciation for the fibre that will hopefully continue with them as they progress through their professional lives.
This article appeared in the September 2024 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
