HONG KONG, Feb. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Year of the Sheep is approaching, and the world-famous Woolmark brand celebrates its 50-year milestone, East Point City, Sun Hung Kai Properties' flagship shopping mall in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong, is cooperating with local felt artist Debbie Leung and The Woolmark Company in launching The International Wool Project (Hong Kong) -- Wool Garden. Apart from creating a festive in-mall shepherd garden, there will be a series of "sheep" and "wool" themed education programmes which the public can find out more about the natural, renewable, highly malleable and versatile characteristics of wool, as well as experience wool art and the fun of knitting. The project also aims at inducing consumers' greater demand for wool and enriching their knowledge on this natural material, thus increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of the Australian wool industry.
International Wool Project rolls out in Hong Kong to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Woolmark logo
Started in Australia, the International Wool Project encourages local woolgrowers, fashion designers, retailers, manufacturers, artisans and interior designers to work together to promote the versatility of wool. As the Year of the Sheep is around the corner, The Woolmark Company takes this opportunity to introduce this international education project to Hong Kong through and joins hands with East Point City to launch this Wool Garden project. Six sets of haute couture made of felt by Hong Kong felt artist Debbie Leung are on display at East Point City, along with six lovely sheep in Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day themed costumes. "Happy shepherds" visiting the garden will find themselves immersed in the colourful world of felt art.
Moreover, in order to let more people understand how wool products are being processed, The Woolmark Company exhibits fleece, fabrics and wool products at the "Wool Studio" in East Point City. Videos and exhibition panels in the studio also illustrate the characteristics and applications of wool and wool products so as to arouse public awareness about environmental friendly fabrics. Besides, the award-wining wool couture designed by 3 local young designers are showcased at East Point City.
Increasing demand from China offers huge opportunities and wool's price is expected to rise steadily
Mr Alex Lai, Country Manager of The Woolmark Company, said, "Wool is highly versatile, and can be used to make garments for all ages, from classic knit sweaters to the most fashionable clothes. The increasing demand for wool from the Greater China Region, especially China, offers huge opportunities for the wool industry. Global wool production reaches approximately 1.05 billion kilograms per year, while Australia stands as the world's largest wool producer, accounting for 23% of the wool production (per capita). Australia is also the largest supplier of wool to China, with a share of up to 70% of imported wool to China in the past three seasons. As China's economy continues to grow, both the demand and the price of wool are expected to rise steadily in 2015."
"Felt is the only fabric in the world that can be shaped by hand. You can change the shape of felt freely by applying soapy water of the right temperature, no matter 2D or 3D," indicated by Debbie Leung while referring to features of felt fashion. Felt art is also environmentally friendly, as you can redo your felt art piece by unknitting it, in which no material would be wasted. Moreover, wool is anti-bacterial, fire and water resistant. It can also keep you warm in cold weather, but release heat and moisture when it is hot. All these characteristics make wool a desirable fabric for clothing.
| East Point City x Woolmark x Debbie Leung The International Wool Project (Hong Kong) -- Wool Garden |
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| Date: |
31 Jan - 8 Mar 2015 |
| Time: |
10am - 10pm |
| Venue: |
1/F Exhibition Area, East Point City 8 Chung Wa Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong |
| Tel: |
+852-2628-7399 |
About The Woolmark Company
The Woolmark Company is a not-for-profit company which invests in research, development and marketing along the global supply chain for Australian wool -- from woolgrowers through to retailers. Their goal is to increase the demand for wool. Woolmark is the iconic fibre brand symbolizing the best wool in the world. Created in 1964, the logo perfectly represents the softness, elegance and modernity of wool. Today, it is still amongst the ten most recognized and appreciated brands in the world. A product bearing the logo indicated that it has been independently tested as a high quality woolen product with guaranteed fibre content. Its creation was the result of a collaboration of the world's woolgrowers led by Australian woolgrowers and it became the independent marketing tool used to support the use of quality wool.
About Felt
There are two types of felt, namely dry felt and wet felt. The former refers to felt art sculpted by special needles while the latter refers to felt produced by applying soapy water. Felt is the oldest fabric in human history, and its history can date back to 6500 BC. Since felt art emphasizes craftsmanship and is easy to produce, it can be created by people of all ages. While colourful felt art can enhance children's sensitivity to colours, stimulate their creativity and help them develop artistic sense, it also helps to improve the mobility of the elderly's fingers and stimulate their five senses.
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150130/8521500613-a
Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150130/8521500613-b
