Woolmark and Lenzing to conquer luxury segment together

By

Matthieu Guinebault

Published
Apr 6, 2016

The Austrian specialist in cellulose fibres, Lenzing, and the Australian institutional body for merino wool are currently focusing their efforts on knitwear, to make the Tencel-Merino composite the go-to fibre for the high-end market by 2020.

This "combination of performance and luxury" was widely highlighted during the textile trade shows at the start of the year. The result is a range of products featuring a type of wool capable of better managing humidity, without affecting the specific feel of merino wool.

"The composite is chiefly used in the active wear segment," indicated Lenzing's Commercial Director, Robert van de Kerkhof. "As a result, for the coming season our activities will be concentrated on woven materials. Our objective is to target this segment presenting high quality fabrics for suits, clothes and formal shirts. We are working with wool composites for a segment, the high-end one, with significant margins, and we are interested in the concept of expanding this activity."

The partnership allows Tencel to boost its business in the upmarket segment, while Woolmark will have the opportunity of better adapting its range to the warmer seasons. According to Lenzing, the composite is already "highly popular" among its European and US clients. The company underlined how the main targets for this collaboration are currently circular and rectilinear knitted products.