An innovative collection of men’s clothing made from quality Australian Merino wool is expected to tap the burgeoning green market in Japan by taking the guesswork out of environmental buying.

Australian Merino wool is a wholly natural fibre and a renewable resource that answers the call of many modern consumers for safer, greener and more sustainable apparel.

Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and Woolmark have been working with a number of companies to produce fabrics made from Australian Merino that are safe to wash and require less environmentally damaging dry cleaning.

Craig Welsh, AWI’s CEO explained, “Australian Merino is a sustainable resource, every year a new fleece grows on the sheep’s back and can be removed without harm to the animal. The wool is made from the simple combination of sunlight, water and grass, this makes it the perfect fibre for partners such as Onward to reinforce their brand's ‘eco’ credentials and provide their customers with a natural choice for their apparel textiles.”

The Australian Merino Field collection, created by Japanese apparel group Onward Kashiyama in conjunction with the Acron of Lion Corporation and AWI is a Fall/Winter 08 range of men’s and sports clothes boasting green initiatives.

Onward Kashiyama is a forward thinking apparel company specialising in the design, manufacture and sale of textile goods.

The Australian Merino Field collection will feature suits, jackets and knitwear made from high-quality Australian Merino, produced on strictly controlled Australian farms to ensure the highest quality environmental standards.

The knitwear collection features the innovative Water Treatment (WT) Knitwear created by Acron of Lion Corporation, a treatment that enables buyers to wash the garments safely at home without damaging the look and feel while easily removing water soluble dirt and sweat.

As part of its commitment to the environment, Onward will also donate a percentage of proceeds from the sale of the Australian Merino Field collection sold under the brands Gotairiku and J. Press, to Australian Landcare Management (ALMS), an environmental protection group devoted to managing Australian land and soil, and to protecting the environment.

Customers buying products featuring WT will also receive a complimentary sample bottle of Acron and the Acron hand washing handbook to encourage people toward environmentally friendly hand washing over dry cleaning.

Acron is a detergent for fashion clothing made by Lion Corporation that features a high level of biodegradability. After it is released into the environment, it breaks down into water and carbon dioxide. The ASP ingredient works to retain the style of the garments. It minimizes the formation of creases and twisting, and reduces shrinking, fading of colours and static electricity.

Further environmental initiatives in the Australian Merino Field collection include tags on the WT Knit clothes made from paper printed with soy ink, which is made principally from soy oil and will not emit harmful volatile organic ingredients into the atmosphere.

Source: www.woolinnovation.com