An exciting collaboration with Australian Wool Innovations, (AWI) showcasing three top designers and their use of wearable wool, will be one of the exciting new initiatives added to the vast program of events at the New England Expo that will be held from this Friday, May 11 to Sunday, May 13.
Throughout the three-day event, fashion parades displaying wearable wool from three Australian fashion houses including Kookai, Emu and Danielle Chiel will give visitors to the Expo a taste of the latest wearable wool fashion.
Kate Muir, Media and Communications Manager for Australian Wool Innovations, who have collaborated with New England Expo to bring the wool garments to Armidale, is excited to be able to show people what is being done with wearable wool, especially to the New England, which is a world renowned wool growing region.
“All the wool garments are extremely wearable and straight off the floor of the fashion houses’ retail stores,” said Kate.
“Kookai always have some interesting interpretations of how they use wool, whether it be blends or 100 per cent wool; Danielle Chiel does these beautiful big chunky hand knits which are immaculately done and stunning, and Emu does lots of super fine next to skin tops and T-shirts.
“Wool fabrics are still extremely popular with consumers,” says Kate, and growing. Australian Wool Innovations recently launched their 2012 Campaign for Wool which is about AWI teaming up with retailers around the country and helping them to promote wool in their stores.
“This gives us an opportunity to do some quantifiable measuring to see how much wool was sold in a period and from previous years,” said Kate.
“From what we have seen so far, there has been a lively demand for wool in the market from consumers.”
The organising committee for New England Expo is confident of bringing one of their best Expos yet to the New England.
With the collaboration of AWI and the wearable wool parades and the return of the popular Wool Shearing Competition, Chairman of the New England Expo, Richard Croft, is keen to see the Expo expand on its core goals of promoting rural life and the wool of the region.
“We have come through a period where the wool industry struggled and it is only now showing signs of improving,” said Richard.
“The message seems to be that the quality, fine wool products are the future, so we want to emphasise more the wool factor of New England Expo.”
The popular culinary feast of local food and wine at the Landmark New England Graze event will be on the Saturday night of the New England Expo weekend from 7 to 11pm at the NEGS Multi-purpose Centre. Tickets are $85 per person and selling fast and are available from New England Mutual. Eleven local restaurants will create masterpieces of local produce complemented by 11 local wines.
“This year we have really gone all out to create an elegant wining and dining tasting experience with a completely new take on previous events,” said event manager Andra Müller.
The Dog Trials will again be on during the Expo and for the kids there will be plenty of activities to keep them entertained, with Solid Satte Circus sponsored by Essential Energy, lots of fun for kids with face painting possible with the support of Lowes and the ever popular cuddly feely Old MacDonald’s animal farm sponsored by Telstra. The wool craft centre will be full of exhibitors displaying local products.
