FROM FARM TO FABRIC

Michael Blake from Hamilton Victoria, one of the leading woolgrowers for Instyle’s LIFE Textiles® collection, hosted the leading textile company and its representatives from the United States, Hong Kong and the Middle East. Michael Blake’s award winning Bally Glunin farm is one of a select few chosen to supply Instyle with wool for its EthEco brand.

EthEco wool is sourced exclusively from non mulesed sheep raised on holistically managed farms, with the aim of improving animal welfare, human health and environmental care.

Launched in 2004, there are now 16 products in the LIFE Textiles collection, which was the first Australian textile collection to address the entire lifecycle from raw material through to product recyclability. “Wool is one of the best fibres for commercial applications,” says Instyle’s national business manager Bronwyn Etheridge. “It has a high fire rating, great longevity and it dyes beautifully.”

Hong Kong based Carlene Cheong, who distributes textiles into Hong Kong, Macau and China, says, “The demand in these markets is growing strongly.” Wick Wolfe, vice president of sales at Unika Vaev, says “The North American market is experiencing a rapid shift from synthetic to natural fibre product”.

“While wool fabrics are becoming important again, the sustainable story of the products in the LIFE collection sends our market a powerful message about our commitment to the environment through the production of truly sustainable, natural products. Our specifiers are now more in tune with what this product represents to our global environment.”

The distributors gained insight into the philosophy behind Michael Blake’s farming methods, and also the complexities of the fabric weaving and dyeing process.The three markets represented during the visit are the main export markets for Instyle as well as New Zealand and Singapore.

Instyle Contract Textiles
instyle.com.au