16 June 2009, Sydney - Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) this
week unveiled its new Out of Bangladesh program, a guide to sourcing
Woolmark-quality Merino wool garments knitted in Bangladesh from commercially
available Merino wool yarns.
Out of Bangladesh is a partnership with a group of
Woolmark-licensed Bangladeshi knitters who have proven performance in creating
fine-gauge Merino wool knitwear, in a variety of garment types, according to
Woolmark standards.
The Out of Bangladesh program uses yarns ranging from 2/30Nm
to 2/48Nm worsted spun plus a 2/28Nm semi-worsted spun yarn, which yields a
woollen-spun look in a finer gauge than previously available from Bangladeshi
knitters. Some of the garments have been made from total easy care (TEC) yarns
and meet the Woolmark standard for a machine washable and tumble dry care
claim. The garments represent basic knit styles which could make up the core of
any Merino knitwear retail collection.
The five knitters who have helped create the Out of
Bangladesh collection are:
Designtex Sweaters Limited
Meditex Industry Limited
Moni Fashion Limited
Pandora Sweaters Limited
SQ Group
AWI’s global product development manager knitwear Roy
Kettlewell says Bangladeshi knitters, traditionally known as a source of basic
medium-gauge woollen-spun knitwear, have developed their capacity to create
finer-gauge knitwear from worsted-spun Merino yarns.
‘The knitters in AWI’s Out of Bangladesh program, in
particular, have a wealth of Merino wool know-how and technical experience,
with the added assurance of Woolmark-certification.’
‘I’d like to acknowledge their contribution to the
successful launch of the Out of Bangladesh program and thank Damodar Menon
International and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exports Association
for their support.’
