HRH The Prince Of Wales’ Campaign For Wool celebrates 10th anniversary

The Campaign for Wool, launched in 2010 by HRH The Prince Of Wales to highlight the benefits of wool, is celebrating its tenth anniversary with the launch of a limited edition scarf, designed in collaboration with Mother of Pearl and manufactured by Johnstons of Elgin.

The 10th Anniversary scarf was conceived by HRH The Prince of Wales to commemorate the anniversary and showcase the benefits of wool. The unisex scarf, designed by Amy Powney from luxury sustainable brand Mother of Pearl, has been crafted using a unique wool fibre blend.

The celebratory scarf features fine wools from four leading wool growing countries connected to the campaign - The United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand - highlighting the initiatives global coalition.

Priced at 150 pounds, profits from the scarf will support The Prince’s Foundation’s Future Textiles initiative and apprenticeship at Johnstons of Elgin. The Future Textiles initiative was first initiated in 2014 to help preserve traditional craft skills such as sewing, weaving, knitting, pattern cutting and hand-embroidery by providing workshops and full-time training programmes to school pupils, teachers and those looking to gain employment in the industry. To date, more than 6,000 people have benefitted from Future Textiles programmes.

Commenting on the launch, HRH The Prince of Wales said in a statement: “It is important to remind people of how valuable and sustainable wool is as a fibre and as a natural material. Wool is a product that the most brilliant boffin in the most hi-tech laboratory could never create. By investing in nature as the true economy we have an incredible opportunity to reinvigorate sustainable industries.

“Wool’s sustainable and biodegradable properties provide a unique natural option for us all to reassess for environmental values and purchases. We need to put nature at the heart of how we operate and to evolve our economic model, putting people and planet at the heart of global value creation. The only limit is our willingness to act, and the time to act is now, and we can all make a difference.”

Mother of Pearl and Johnstons of Elgin teamed up with HRH The Prince Of Wales for Campaign For Wool tenth anniversary

Simon Cotton, chief Executive at Johnstons of Elgin, said: “For this particular project we have brought together a completely unique blend of 4 different wools from right across the Commonwealth; fine Merino wool from responsibly sourced Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and beautifully soft, warm Bluefaced Leicester wool from the UK. All together we have a beautiful combination of wools showing the best of what wool can do.

“His Royal Highness has been a huge supporter of wool and has conceived this project to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the Campaign for Wool, and to really celebrate what wool can do as a biodegradable and fully sustainable fibre which is a wonderful thing for us to be involved in. We are a massive investor in Modern Apprenticeships, we are the largest provider in the UK textile industry and have received the Investors in Young People Gold Award for continually investing in the next generation and making sure those skills go on right into the future.”

Commenting on designing the scarf, Powney added: “Alongside the honour of being asked to design the scarves for this project, the core value of collaboration at the projects heart is what appealed to me most. This project brings together education today in the importance of sustainable fabrication and processes along with giving back to education with profits supporting apprenticeships for the new future generations.

“The design of the scarves began appropriately by looking at The Prince of Wales check, adding a twist to its classic design and affirming its natural wool composition with jacquard text, I hoped to merge classic with modernity, to celebrate what we should take from the past and what we need to do to safeguard our futures.”

Campaign For Wool celebrates 10th anniversary

Over the last ten years, The Campaign For Wool and The Prince of Wales has been educating consumers about the benefits of wool as a natural, renewable and biodegradable fibre, as well as promote wool-rich products to an international audience and help to support and grow the wool industry.

The Campaign is a collaborative initiative involving sheep farmers and woolgrowers, textile manufacturers, carpet makers, brands, retailers, fashion and interior designers and artisans from around the world, and continues to highlight the benefits of using wool in protecting the planet and marine life and the additional natural safety aspects of flame retardancy.

Nicholas Coleridge, chairman of the Campaign for Wool, added: “Johnstons of Elgin have been constant and enthusiastic supporters of The Prince of Wales’s campaign since its inception. They are seen as a shining example of wool manufacturing at its finest, always innovative and producing pieces of the highest quality.

“In his steadfast championing of wool and the wool industry, it is fitting that His Royal Highness should select Johnstons to manufacture the Campaign’s 10th Anniversary scarf.”

The Campaign For Wool 10th anniversary scarf, available in three distinct Autumnal colourways - The Elgin, The Derwent and The Murray can be purchased from Net-A-Porter, Johnstons of Elgin and Mother of Pearl.

Images: courtesy of the Campaign for Wool