The Prince of Wales calls on consumers to buy wool

HRH The Prince of Wales, who launched the Campaign for Wool in January 2010, has called on consumers to buy wool this winter, ahead of the first ever Dumfries House Wool Conference taking place on September 9.

In a column for The Telegraph, The Prince of Wales writes: “Imagine the excitement if a new fibre were to be invented with a seemingly miraculous range of properties. Something that would grow naturally, requiring only grass and water as raw materials; a material that could be crafted into a wide range of the most beautiful and practical clothing.

“Finally, at the end of its life it would be entirely biodegradable. Surprising as it may seem, such an extraordinary and versatile material has existed for a very long time. It is, of course, wool. Perhaps because it isn’t ‘new’ and hasn’t needed to be invented, we seem to have rather lost sight of the much bigger contribution that wool could, and should, be making in our lives.”

He goes on to explain that he pitted wool, which he calls “immensely practical” against synthetic fabrics in tests of fire retardancy and sustainability. In the first, both woollen and synthetic blazers underwent flammability tests, the woollen jacket smouldered in relative safety, while the synthetic counterpart produced a dramatic and disconcerting blaze.

In the second test, HRH buried two jumpers in a flower bed at Clarence House, six months later he revealed that the synthetic jumper was still intact, while the woollen jumper had “quietly and usefully biodegraded itself away to nothing”.

His letter comes ahead of the Wool Conference taking place in Scotland on September 9 that will bring together key members of the fashion, interiors and wool industry organised by The Campaign for Wool. The event will discuss animal welfare, sustainability and quality, environmental issues and slowing down fast-fashion turnover.

Confirmed guests include British designer Paul Smith, Marks and Spencer chief executive Steve Rowe, Ermenegildo Zegna chairman Paolo Zegna, and founder and creative director of Eco-Age David Gandy.

Image: Campaign for Wool Facebook