We're woolly minded

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10 April 2012

From the plight of the Túngara frog to that of the Indian elephant, fashion designers are never backward in coming forward when it comes to lending their name to a worthy cause. This year, thanks to a new campaign spearheaded by the Prince of Wales, a decidedly less exotic species has been ring-fenced by the industry, one of the cute and cuddly variety: the humble sheep. And while the news that sheep are endangered may come as a surprise to many — it certainly did to us — according to Nicholas Coleridge, managing director of Condé Nast and deputy chairman of the Campaign for Wool, the problems facing our wool industry are grave. So grave, in fact, that in 20 years' time our hillsides could be sheepless altogether. And it seems our desire for quick-fix fashion is to blame.

An increase in cheap synthetic fabrics has seen the demand for wool-based garments dip dramatically in recent years. "How sad to use more and more synthetic fabrics," says Coleridge, "particularly when we have wool on our doorstep."

To highlight this situation, a Wool Week, backed by 62 brands from the UK as well as from Australia and New Zealand, where wool prices have almost halved in the past 10 years, kicked off the campaign yesterday.

Not surprisingly, the key labels involved include our best-loved heritage brands, most of which count luxurious woollen pieces as part of their DNA: Jaeger, for example, founded in 1884 by zoology professor Dr Gustav Jaeger, who believed that wearing wool was directly linked to good health and well-being; and dowdy jumper supplier-turned-high-end fashion house Pringle. Dear old M&S, which lays claim to using more than 5,000 tonnes of wool each year, was the first to get involved and will be promoting its most luxurious woollen pieces throughout this week, while Liberty plans to use its recently renovated haberdashery department to house the knitted designs of a selection of students from the Royal College of Art. Other events taking place in the capital include a sheep parade in Covent Garden and the opportunity to purchase a slice of a scarf from a roll knitted from 100 per cent Scottish wool, which will be available from the Pedlars concession in Selfridges.

And while indulging in a woolly activity or two will undoubtedly benefit your conscience, not to mention your standing with HRH should he spot you stocking up on yarns at John Lewis, there are other, more selfish gains to be had this week, namely for your wardrobe. The King's Road Shop at Bluebird will house a pop-up shop for trendy outdoor brand Wool Rich, while the latest collection from Lily Cole's knitwear label, The North Circular, which sources wool from a rare breed of Wensleydale sheep and enlists a host of knitting grannies across the country to create the products, has just touched down at Harvey Nichols.

Truly, there's never been a better baa-gain (sorry) than wool.

Dyed in the wool: real sheep launching National Wool Week at Selfridges

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