NEW YORK--Manufacturers, retailers, designers and sheep farmers joined together to launch The Campaign for Wool for the first time in the United States to revive the nation’s understanding and interest in wool, increase consumer demand and educate consumers about its natural benefits.
Convened by HRH The Prince of Wales, the Campaign for Wool commenced with Wool Week, a key platform for wool retailers to host wool-themed promotions and activity and encourage them to support this highly successful initiative.
Sheep were the talk of the nation as they were brought into the world’s most energetic city, New York, to graze freely and play centre stage in a stunning installation called Wool Uncovered, which transformed the famous Manhattan outdoor living space, Bryant Park, into a woolen wonderland.
The lawn became the sheep’s meadow for the day and the famous Fountain Terrace was turned in to a luxurious Wool Salon with beautiful richly colored carpet and a stunning wool bed. There was no water in the fountain. Instead it spilt over with wool and yarn and the trees were adorned with wool art. In addition, a series of talks were given by leaders in the fashion and interiors industry including acclaimed interior designer Steven Gambrel, Esquire’s Fashion Director Nick Sullivan and Co-Founder of Timo Weiland Alan Eckstein.
The Wool Book – a wool resource publication -- will put the fiber on the shelf at leading bookstores in New York during Wool Week and features an introduction by The Prince.
During a visit to Highgrove by American Campaign partners earlier in the year, Patron HRH The Prince of Wales commented, “I am delighted by the success of the Campaign for Wool across the world and it is wonderful to see the natural, sustainable benefits of this amazing fiber promoted in America at a time when the environmental agenda is so vitally important to us all.”
Over 250 brands support The Campaign for Wool and in the USA all leading wool carpet and rug companies and upholstery manufacturers are backing the initiative with its symbolic Green Sheep logo.
Wool is known to be one of the most environmentally friendly and sustainable fibers in the world and it was this understanding coupled with the decline of the sheep population, that stirred the Prince to take action in 2010 and unite the multi-sector industry with the common goal of educating consumers about the many natural benefits of wool in products.
