Continuing to connect designers with the world's best commercially available wool fabric and yarn manufacturers, The Woolmark Company has unveiled the latest edition of The Wool Lab at Pitti Uomo, which is being held in Florence, Italy, this week.

The Wool Lab Spring/Summer 2018 edition presents six fashion-oriented themes, along with two entirely dedicated to the sports and outdoor industry, highlighting the technical benefits of the natural fibre. And, for the first time, The Wool Lab will also include fabrics and yarns dedicated to Wool Denim.

Created in collaboration with the most innovative and quality-oriented spinners and weavers from across the world, The Wool Lab is an inspiration sourcing guide available for designers and brands to view. Visitors to Pitti Uomo will also be treated to a virtual trip to Australia, with virtual reality headsets transporting them to a wool growing property to discover the origins of Merino wool and its natural environment.

Fashion themes

The Secret Garden theme is dedicated to simple elegance inspired by a florist's intimate world. It represents a certain way of life: comfortable, relaxed, positive and humble.

On the Road represents the desire to leave and to travel aimlessly. The spirit of freedom that has always driven young people to discover the world in search of themselves, without thoughts.

Finally, Laboratorio is about a new way in fashion; old techniques, experimental technologies and fresh minds all mixed to create and transform materials into unique products. It's the new generation of artisans that creates their own style like modern alchemists in their laboratories.

Sports and activewear

The Active theme represents the most technically performing wool fabrics and yarns, mixed with technical fibres, to ensure the best results during physical activity. Examples of this theme highlight the technology enriched with the most innovative finishing treatments, suitable to match every climate and discipline, indoor and outdoor.

The second sports-oriented theme is called Athleisure. Riding the wave of this increasing trend, athleisure blurs the line between fashion and activewear, with the latter being used in a non-active, casual way with a modern, stylish look. Merino wool's ability to combine comfort and flexibility with casual elegance positions it well to cater to this growing market.

Wool Denim

Wool Denim fabrics are a new approach to improving the aesthetics of traditional denim fabric. New technologies allow fabric to be naturally dyed indigo. Garments in 100% Merino wool, or wool blended with cotton, acquire a modern look keeping all the natural qualities of this fibre, such as thermoregulation and breathability.

The Woolmark Company

The Woolmark Company is the leading international authority on wool. Through its extensive network of relationships spanning the international textile and fashion industries, the company highlights Australian wool’s position as the ultimate natural fibre and premier ingredient in luxury apparel.

The Woolmark logo represents one of the world’s most recognised and respected brands, providing assurance of the highest quality, and representing pioneering excellence and innovation from farm through to finished product.

The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit enterprise owned by more than 24,000 woolgrowers that invests in research, development and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool.

www.woolmark.com