Award winner’s study tour to Japan and Korea
Award-winning young designer Angelica Kilkolly from the Central Coast of NSW returned from her recent study tour of the wool supply chain in Japan and South Korea impressed by the innovation, knowledge and enthusiasm for wool she witnessed.
At last year’s Fleece to Fashion Awards held in Armidale, NSW, Angelica Kilkolly won the Supreme Award of the competition, the AWI Industry Immersion Award, which provided Angelica with a tour of the wool supply chain in Japan and South Korea.
Angelica travelled in March to Tokyo and Seoul where she received a wool supply chain induction, dove into wool manufacturing and learnt about the vibrant fashion and retail landscapes of the two countries.
Tokyo, Japan
In Tokyo, Angelica visited the office of leading textile machinery manufacturer Shima Seiki, which is famous for its WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines that knit garments in three dimensions, in one entire piece without seams. Angelica also toured the Matsumaru factory that produces WHOLEGARMENT® knitwear for CFCL, a large contemporary fashion brand that specialises in knitwear.
“The technological advancements in WHOLEGARMENT® knitting I saw at Shima Seiki were absolutely mind blowing. For instance, they have a device which can scan a piece of yarn, upload its qualities to their online database, and then produce a realistic 3D digital simulation of your garment before it’s even knitted,” Angelica said.
Other highlights of Angelica’s stay in Tokyo were a visit to the fashion show of FETICO, one of Japan’s most exciting womenswear brands that is inspired by classic feminine styles; a retail tour of the multi-brand clothing emporium Dover Street Market Ginza; and learning about R&D and marketing undertaken by Woolmark in Japan.
Designer Angelica Kilkolly during the study tour at the Matsumaru factory (left) and the Shima Seiki head office (right) in Tokyo.
Seoul, South Korea
In Seoul, Angelica visited Samwon Ilmo, a Woolmark licensee that specialises in the manufacture of wool yarns; Aztech WB, a Woolmark licensee that specialises in producing suiting fabrics; and the Woolmark office to learn about how company works to grow demand for wool in this important market for Australian wool.
Angelica also undertook a retail tour of the famous Gangnam district of Soeul which is famous as an upmarket shopping area. Stores she visited include sustainable fashion brand Re:Code; Amomento which produces sophisticated timeless classics; premium multi-brand fashion store Beaker; womenswear brand Nothing Written; and Recto which produces minimal, classic styles for men and women.
“The retail tours in Seoul and Tokyo were so valuable; the quality of workmanship was so inspiring and I finally got the chance to see and touch garments from some of my favourite designers in real life,” Angelica said.
Fleece to Fashion Awards celebrate wool
Graduating at the end of 2023 with a Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles with Honours from University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Angelica has a love for knitwear exemplified by the range of techniques used in her winning designs at the 2024 Fleece to Fashion Awards.
“I love working with wool because of its properties, versatility, and sustainability. As designers and consumers, it’s essential that we consider the environmental impact of the clothing we create and wear. Wool, being renewable, biodegradable, and requiring fewer resources to produce compared to other materials, is a perfect example of how fashion can embrace both innovation and sustainability,” Angelica said.
“The Fleece to Fashion Awards have provided me with such an incredible experience, to first go to Armidale and see firsthand the passion and dedication of the Australian wool industry that grows this incredible fibre, and then travel overseas to witness the wool being crafted by some of the world’s best manufacturers and brands. Everybody I met on the study tour was so lovely and welcoming, and extremely knowledgeable.”
Angelica is currently working as a seamstress/designer at Australian made sustainability label Re/lax Remade.
Based in the New England region of NSW, the Fleece to Fashion Awards is an annual competition that promotes the unique, versatile and sustainable qualities of Merino wool, while celebrating fashion designers from across Australia who embrace the fibre in their collections. The Awards are sponsored by AWI along with local businesses and woolgrowers. Entries for the 2025 competition open on 1 July.
More information: www.fleecetofashion.com.au
This article appeared in the Winter 2025 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in June 2025. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
