Paul Smith named Woolmark ambassador

British designer Sir Paul Smith is collaborating with The Woolmark Company as its newest global brand ambassador to promote and highlight the use of Australian Merino wool. The designer will work with Woolmark on a co-branded campaign

for Spring/Summer 2014 and Autumn/Winter 2014, that will run in print and digital formats to “widen the reach of consumer engagement”.

Smith, will also work with Merino wool for his up-coming Men’s London collections, with a focus on the use of ‘Cool Wool’, which is made from fine Australian Merino wool fashioned into lightweight fabrics through modern manufacturing and processing techniques, but still works in hotter climates. The designer has had seven Cool Wool fabrics woven specially for him by European mills and he is also working closely with British mill Clissold on further designs.

“I have always been a fan of natural fibres, cotton for shirts and wool for the rest, a good staple diet for a fashion designer,” said Smith. "Of course over the years since I started, there has been lots of other new high-tech fabrics that have arrived but I still tend to stick with my wool.

"Cool Wool is very important for us because we are selling into 72 countries around the world, and a lot of the countries we sell to are very hot all year round or very humid and Cool Wool has really helped us with that.”

Woolmark collaborate with Sir Paul Smith

The designer was chosen as the Woolmark’s latest global ambassador due to his “design philosophy of individuality”, as well as his strong presence in the Asian and Middle East markets where there is a need for garments that can perform in the heat and regulate changes in temperature from cool air conditioned indoor areas to the hotter outdoor environment.

"Paul Smith is a brand that is synonymous with style and as a designer and identity Paul Smith resonates with global consumers as a name they trust and respect," explained Robert Langtry, chief strategy and marketing officer of The Woolmark Company. "We are pleased to be announcing this partnership with Paul Smith which reaffirms the strong position wool holds in this market while Cool Wool highlights its versatility."

Woolmark has collaborated with a number of other designers, most recently Alexander Wang for its ‘Merino Wool: No Finer Feeling’ advocacy campaign, which saw the designer standing alongside a large Merino Ram in front of a graffiti wall.

Image: Paul Smith with his Men's London collection for SS14