AWI’s The Wool Lab sourcing guide helps build the international textile trade’s interest in wool
The Wool Lab is a premier sourcing guide for designers and brands that contains swatches of some of the most innovative and quality wool fabrics, yarns and processes commercially available on the market from the world’s best spinners, knitters and weavers.
Since the launch of the inaugural edition 13 years ago by the marketing arm of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), The Woolmark Company, The Wool Lab has become an important tool for the global textile industry and helps support the demand for Australian wool globally.
“For each of the Autumn/Winter and the Spring/Summer seasons, we reach out to The Woolmark Company’s global supply chain network to source their latest fabric and yarn developments,” explained AWI General Manager, Processing Innovation & Education Extension, Julie Davies.
“With these, we curate a sourcing guide with inspirational images and a selection of the best swatches that can then be ordered by designers and buyers directly from the manufacturers through The Wool Lab. By providing this service, we are helping to inspire brands’ material strategies and forge strong relationships within the supply chain, thereby supporting the demand for wool.”
From the two seasonal editions of The Wool Lab launched in the 2023/24 financial year, there were 12,630 requests for swatches from 393 supply chain partners.
The latest edition of The Wool Lab, which was launched at the end of June, contains swatches for the northern hemisphere’s Autumn/Winter 2025/26 retail season and are grouped into five theme books that reflect some of the growing market opportunities for wool, specifically: trans-seasonality, layering for sports, outerwear, natural and renewable characteristics, and knitwear innovations.
Physical editions and swatches of The Wool Lab form the foundation of what The Woolmark Company presents to brands and retail buying teams at international trade shows, its seven wool development centres, educational seminars, and directly in one-on-one viewings.
There is also a digital version of The Wool Lab that anyone including woolgrowers can view on the Woolmark website at woolmark.com/the-wool-lab.
Brands and retail buying teams viewing wool swatches in The Wool Lab at The Woolmark Company’s booths at trade shows.
