Growing interest in wool denim
Woolmark has launched a promotion of wool denim to the textile trade to help grow demand for wool in the casual apparel market. The promotion highlights how incorporating wool fibres into the traditional construction of cotton denim elevates the denim into a premium and high performance fabric.
Benefits of wool denim
Wool denim is as strong and versatile as regular cotton denim, but with the added natural benefits of wool including next-to-skin comfort, thermoregulation, moisture management, odour resistance, elasticity and wrinkle recovery.
In particular, wool’s natural temperature-regulating properties make wool denim suitable for all seasons, keeping the wearer warm when it is cold, and cool when it is hot. For instance, wool on the inside of the fabric adds an extra element of warmth and takes the initial chill out of putting on regular denim jeans.
Dyed cotton warp yarns and undyed wool weft yarns is the most common composition for wool denim. However, newer combinations – such as wool-lyocell and wool-hemp – are increasingly used to offer unique advantages and applications. Wool denim is also available in a 100% wool fabric. There are also denim-inspired wool knits and jerseys.
Recent advancements, including the use of machine-washable wool yarns, have made the production of wool denim fabrics easier and more cost effective to achieve, for a range of applications from jeans to shirting to suiting.
Woolmark’s wool denim promotion
The Wool Lab Denim book and wool denim samples on display at the busy Woolmark booth at the Denim Première Vision trade show held in May.
Woolmark has created a special edition of its The Wool Lab sourcing guide, containing 100 swatches of the world’s best commercially available wool denim fabrics and yarns.
AWI General Manager, Processing Innovation & Education Extension, Julie Davies, says The Wool Lab Denim edition was launched in response to an increased demand for more sophisticated and sustainable denim fabrics.
“Over the past four years, we have seen a steady increase in requests for the wool denim samples seen in the regular editions of The Wool Lab. So we decided to issue this special edition devoted to wool denim to take advantage of this growing interest,” Julie said.
“The Wool Lab Denim enables designers to explore wool denim with traditional patterns and subtle contemporary twists that offer a new perspective on a familiar favourite. Or they can explore bold and imaginative interpretations of the denim look with distinctive prints, creative dyeing methods and unique finishing touches – shifting wool denim into new, innovative dimensions.
“By providing this service, we help inspire brands’ material strategies and forge strong relationships within the supply chain, thereby supporting the demand for wool.”
The special edition of The Wool Lab was launched at the Denim Première Vision trade show held in Milan in May. This was the first time that Woolmark had exhibited at the event.
“A large and influential attendance, premium positioning, and the high visibility of The Wool Lab Denim contributed to a highly impactful and well received participation by Woolmark at the trade show. There was strong engagement from brands, designers, and innovators throughout both days of the show and feedback was enthusiastic,” Julie said.
There was also substantial trade media coverage of Woolmark’s attendance at the show and the benefits of wool for denim applications.
Woolmark will also exhibit at the large Bangladesh Denim Expo being held in November.
Woolmark has also developed a package of wool denim resources for the company’s Business Development Managers to use when engaging with designers and brands at meetings, workshops, and trade shows across the world. The resources include a 24-page Wool Denim Toolkit, presentation slides, samples and imagery, as well as The Wool Lab Denim. The Toolkit and The Wool Lab are also available on the Woolmark website – see below.
More information:
www.woolmark.com/wool-denim
www.woolmark.com/thewoollab
IWP winner’s fresh take on a timeless textile
International Woolmark Prize (IWP) winner Edward Crutchley has designed a nine-piece wool denim collection to showcase how Merino wool can redefine the cultural icon.
Raised on a sheep farm in the Yorkshire Dales in England, Edward Crutchley is now one of the world’s leading fashion designers, who has worked on the international stage for Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Christian Dior. In 2019, he won both the Menswear Award and the Innovation Award of the 2019 International Woolmark Prize.
His latest collaboration with Woolmark is on a project titled ‘Wool Futures: The Future of Denim’ which aims to encourage the textile and fashion industries to use more wool denim. Inspired by The Wool Lab Denim edition and the Wool Denim Toolkit, Edward has used artificial intelligence (AI) to reimagine the enduring appeal of denim through the lens of Merino wool.
“Denim stands for so much; from workwear to youth cultures, it is the cornerstone of so many wardrobes. Wool denim stands for even more. The addition of wool adds both luxury and versatility, giving denim a newness and adding to its adaptability and beauty”
Edward Crutchley, fashion designer
The result is a nine-look collection of bold, future-facing designs. The collection weaves together narratives including the functional layering worn by Australia’s woolgrowers.
Signature looks include bush hats styled with padded jackets, dark denim trench coats layered over laser-washed jeans, and sharply tailored silhouettes that showcase wool’s natural drape, structure, and thermal versatility.
“Neither wool nor denim are traditionally seen within the outerwear category of streetwear,” Edward explained. “So I treated this as the key challenge of the project – to find ways in which the unique qualities of wool and the heritage and atmosphere created by denim could bring something new to this category; one which has been growing significantly over the past few seasons.
“The results clearly show how suitable wool denim is for coats and padded jackets. In fact, it’s made me realise that there is so much more potential for wool denim in outerwear than I have previously thought possible.”
More information: www.woolmark.com/future-denim
This article appeared in the Spring 2025 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in September 2025. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.
