Whilst sheep grazed on Sydney Harbour for the first time in over 100 years, fashion, retail and industry heavyweights were invited last night to celebrate the launch of Campaign for Wool, patron HRH Prince Charles, at Admiralty House.

The event, hosted by the Governor-General Quentin Bryce AC, hailed the start of a five-year Campaign for Wool, aimed at reconnecting people with the versatility of wool and saw guests enjoy a presentation of garments by local and international designers.

Over 30 apparel labels and retailers supported the launch for Campaign for Wool by taking part in the fashion presentation as well as extending a presence via consumer promotions in store to deliver increased awareness around the benefits of wool.

Australian Wool Innovation CEO Stuart McCullough said this campaign represented a new era for wool. "Australian woolgrowers produce the finest wool in the world. Last night was a showcase of the best in wool design, a testament to the success of our industry."

Working hand in hand with key designers, AWI sourced and assisted with the creation of exclusive garments to showcase the versatility of wool from the more classically tailored designs through to the more natural state of hand crafted knitwear. Brands which showcased garments included Collette Dinnigan, MJ Bale, Richard Nicholl and Dion Lee.

The core objective of this campaign is not only to promote the environmental benefits of wool but also to support the future of design and ensure that wool continues to be the fibre of choice for designers across the globe. The Campaign for Wool is a cross-industry initiative convened by HRH The Prince of Wales.

“The combined efforts of the leading wool organisations, industry associations and the textile industry across the world created this campaign to promote the wonderful properties that wool offers to textiles and in doing so, helps to support sheep farming as an industry and the textile community internationally,” says AWI.