It has been 200 years since Reverend Samuel Marsden arrived in England with a bale of his Australian Merino wool, marking the beginning of the strong relationship between Australian woolgrowers and European buyers.
As part of the celebration of this historic event, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) launched the Protege Program on 21 June in Florence, Italy.
The project is a celebration of the past and a preservation of the future. Some of the world's finest couture designers will mentor their handpicked proteges to create Australian Merino wool-based collections.
The Protege project will feature: • Jean-Pierre Braganza for Karl Lagerfeld • Kristian Aadnevik for Donatella Versace • Julian Louie for Francisco Costa- Calvin Klein • Ioannis Cholidis for Paul Smith • Sandra Backlund for Franca Sozzani (Vogue Italia) • The participants will make Australian Merino wool the focus of their collections. The fabrics will be supplied by renowned • Italian manufacturers Zega Baruffa, Ermenegildo Zegna, Loro Piana, Grignasco, Chiavazza, Reda, and Tollegno.
The collections will be showcased by the proteges in January 2008 at a catwalk show in Milan.
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