Look For Wool Campaign

There is no doubt that wool is an incredible fibre, so when we see people advocating for it, we get excited. Look for Wool is a new campaign to bring light to wool as a sustainable fashion fibre choice. Look for Wool was founded by Sue Harries, a Fashion Consultant who has started working in the sustainable fashion world to educate people in making good choices when it comes to fashion.

We were recently chosen by Sue Maree, to be featured on the runway at the Tasmanian Fashion Festival as part of the Look for Wool awareness campaign. 

Tell us about “Look For Wool” and why you started this campaign?

 Hi, I’m Sue Maree, a Fashion Consultant & global award winning educator in sustainable fashion. I was delighted to create Look for Wool as an awareness campaign to help people understand the fabrics we use and wear have an impact on us, our environment and the planet. It’s a way to educate about the difference between natural and man-made fibres and in particular, to promote all the unique qualities of Merino wool being the most sustainable for clothing because it’s a natural fibre, renewable and biodegradable. I believe Merino wool, is the future of fashion.

I live in cooler climate and Merino wool has been an essential part in my wardrobe. I could not recommend it more highly and these pieces have lasted for 10 years, saving me an enormous amount of money over time & reducing my footprint on fashion waste. My personal experience with Merino wool and concerns about fashion sustainability and waste, is inspiring me to keep finding ways to educate about it. I’m currently part of a global sustainability committee for the Association of Image Consulting International to help the fashion and image industry.

Tell us a little bit about the fashion festival and your participation in it?

The Tasmanian Fashion Festival, was a celebration of local designers to showcase their collections for the upcoming Spring/Summer, with a farm to fashion theme. It was a great opportunity to promote the benefits of merino wool to the consumers, local wool growers, designers and innovators. I pitched my Look for Wool campaign to the President of the festival, and she was excited and welcoming of my idea. I had an exhibition booth and 3 models to walk the runway to showcase sustainable fashion in a creative way.

 The exhibition booth told the story by photographs of how the wool from the sheep at the farm becomes fibre and then fashion. Having different stages of wool on display with the Merino Country Wundies underpants and socks were great examples of what products are being made using super fine merino wool.

What inspired your runway look and what was the message?

The runway look was about finding Australian grown and made merino wool clothing that had a link to Tasmania. It needed to be eye catching, memorable and different to what else would be showcased on the runway. The main focus was the black and white “Look for Wool” signs that the models would wear with their big black oversized glasses. The Merino Country black tunic tops, black boy leg Wundies underpants and black over-the-knee leg warmers, created a statement look with the hats and pompom earrings I had from other suppliers. The accessory was not a handbag, but a coat hanger with Merino Country socks pegged to the hanger for a bit of fun.  

How did you hear about Merino Country and why did you choose to include our products in your fashion looks?

I researched a lot of Australia made wool brands, but what stood out for me with Merino Country, was the sheer love, care and passion of farmers Kerrie and Mal, who created a family business and what they have achieved in their 30 years manufacturing locally and is Australian Made Certified. I was impressed by the ethical and sustainable practices from the animal welfare, care of workers, fabric production, manufacturing processes and waste management initiatives. They have been endorsed by the Australian Woolmark company and Kerrie is personally involved in many areas of the wool industry. Merino Country is stocked at the Tasmanian Wool Centre. My Instagram @lookforwool captured the event and will be a way to provide ongoing education.

 If you'd like to know more about the Look For Wool campaign follow Sue's campaign on Instagram or follow Sue on Facebook.

Dazzle Image Consulting www.dazzleimage.com.au