The Woolmark Company partners with Italy’s iconic gondoliers of Venice

The innovative, high-performance Merino wool fabrics worn by Italy’s sailing team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the 36th America’s Cup will continue to promote the sustainable qualities of wool, this time dressing the iconic gondoliers of Venice. Australian Wool Innovation’s subsidiary, The Woolmark Company, is partnering with the Gondoliers Association and Al Duca d’Aosta to show off the premium qualities of wool amongst the famous lagoons of Italy’s tourist hotspot. AWI acting chief executive John Roberts said wool would be shown in a world famous setting. “Innovation and tradition blend perfectly in this exclusive partnership that leverages the technical and sustainable qualities of wool, creating an exceptional high-performance connection between Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and the Gondoliers of Venice,” he said. “Already extensively tested by the elite sailing athletes, the fabric technology will be granted exclusively to another sea team that shares the same passion, physical effort as well as resistance to variable weather conditions on water.” Mr Roberts said Merino wool was 100 per cent natural, renewable and biodegradable and had infinite properties including elasticity, breathability, thermo-regulation and water resistance and was teamed with the fibre’s eco-credentials that was essential for sports use. “The gondoliers’ new uniform will be composed of the same technical waterproof jacket and highly breathable T-shirt used by the sailors, flanked by an iconic striped sweater made with a new high-performance 100 per cent Merino wool yarn,” he said. The Woolmark Company European regional manager Francesco Magri said this was another reminder of how a sustainable fibre like fine Merino wool could be used in unexpected ways. “The 36th America’s Cup campaign alongside Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli was a success, not only for the goals, never achieved before by an Italian team, but to see a technical uniform created by Merino wool in a space traditionally dominated by synthetics,” he said. “Thanks to the research and development activities carried out with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, these innovative and high-performance Merino wool fabrics also dress the historical Venice gondoliers.” Mr Magri said the uniforms helped the gondoliers to face their work in a sustainable and responsible way and represented the perfect example of how an innovative and technical solution, sought after for sports where maximum performance was central, often becomes part of everyday life. The Gondoliers of Venice Association president Andrea Balbi said it was a four-year plan for gondoliers to wear Merino wool. “We are honoured to be able to wear the same high-performance fabrics as the Luna Rossa Pirelli sailing team,” he said. “Tradition has truly met innovation.”