THE launch of Williams Wool branding, on knitwear made from wool sourced exclusively from the Williams area, has been brought forward to later this year.
Simon Maylor, co-owner of the Williams Woolshed which has partnered with Australian Wool Network (AWN) and its WA representative Dyson Jones Wool Marketing Services in the project, said the first Williams Wool branded product was expected in time for Christmas.
“We’ve been told the launch has been brought forward,” Mr Maylor said on Tuesday.
“We are expecting to have Williams Wool branded product on our shelves at the Williams Woolshed in December.”
Mr Maylor said Williams Woolshed had previously not expected to receive knitwear made from local wool and carrying Williams Wool branding until next April.
It will be the first time in WA a commercial wool product is marketed with its local provenance highlighted for buyers to learn about the farms where the greasy wool came from and the processing it went through to create the finished garment.
Williams Woolshed is also planning to launch its own online shop, Mr Maylor said.
As previously reported in Farm Weekly, the Williams Woolshed has joined with Dyson Jones to bring AWN’s Eastern States wool DNA (Direct Network Advantage) program to WA.
It will see MerinoSnug and Only Merino garments carrying Williams Wool DNA branding marketed at the Williams Woolshed, national retail outlets and online.
Two Williams woolgrowers have committed wool to the project and others have expressed interest in providing wool.
A film crew this month is shooting footage on the farms and of the Williams community to help market Williams Wool.
Some of the footage will feature on quick response (QR) code tags attached to the garments and could be viewed by holding an iPhone over the code.
A fashion parade and celebration of local food, wine and art at the Williams Woolshed last week was also filmed.
“It was a great night, our woolshed was packed, we probably had 80 or 90 people in here,” Mr Maylor said.
“Apart from the locals there werepeople from Dyson Jones and (AWN’s wool DNA project manager) Rod Miller came over (from South Australia),” he said.