In July 2024, Shanghai, China — The Woolmark Company and Chinese brand ICICLE co-unveil the Traceable Wool Fashion Collection, reflecting a shared commitment to exceptional quality and responsibility for sustainable development. This collaboration features the new Superfine Merino Wool Collection and signature ICICLE DEW Collection — From responsible wool sourcing and ethical garment manufacturing, every step of the process is transparent and traceable, preserving a complete record of the craftsmanship journey to uphold the highest standards of quality.
Founded in 1997, Shanghai, and adopting "Made in Earth" as its brand philosophy, ICICLE selects high-quality natural fabrics and crafts them with ethical care. In a minimal contemporary style, ICICLE reveals the art of nature through the pursuit of a free and balanced urban life.
This project launches ICICLE's inaugural traceable collection, marking a milestone in their sustainability efforts. Aiming for full traceability in its supply chain, starting with high-quality wool fibres, ICICLE partners with The Woolmark Company to craft a more responsible, transparent, and reliable dressing experience for consumers.
The Traceable Superfine Merino Wool Collection adheres to ICICLE's aesthetic of gentle minimalism, creating a dozen practical knitwear pieces which combine incredible fineness and longevity. Carefully curated from select Australian farms, the precious and exquisite Merino wool has an average fibre diametre of about 13.75 microns, thus offering a delicate tactile sensation comparable to cashmere for unparalleled lightness and comfort in all seasons. The wool fibres of this collection originate from the Mulgowan Farm in the Traprock region of Queensland, Australia. Established in 1898, the farm is currently managed by Clive and Margaret Smith, who are committed to the production of ultra-fine bales of wool. To ensure the quality of wool, they put special coats on their 500 sheep to protect their wool from grass seeds and dust. The fibres are then crafted into yarns exclusively commissioned for ICICLE by Südwolle Group's flat knitting collection Biella Yarn, giving a lustrous texture akin to silk. The yarn is machine washable, allowing for easy-care and maintenance of the garment.
The Traceable ICICLE Dew Collection embodies the brand's iconic business-travel mode, featuring outdoor pieces such as trench coat, jacket, and down coat. The collection utilises Merino wool that can be traced back to the Old Ripponhurst Farm in Victoria, Australia. This family-operated farm is renowned for its modern breeding and shearing techniques, while also prioritising the preservation of the sheep's living conditions and the surrounding ecosystem. The wool is then processed by Dino Filarte, a premium brand under Nanshan Fashion, through a world-first weaving technology, resulting in the exclusive ICICLE Dew fabric. The fabric is free of chemical coatings, offering natural weatherproofness, along with being lightweight and breathable, making the collection an easy-care companion for everyday commuters or more adventurous travelers.
Every product of this collection comes with a traceable QR code, providing customers with a portal for full visibility to all supply chain information. By scanning the QR code, they can access The Woolmark Company's official website, where they can explore the wool-producing farms, wool-processing plants and the design concepts behind the products — as if personally embarking on a journey from the farm to the store, tracing the origins of the wool.
Mr. Jeff Ma, Executive Vice President for Greater China and New Markets in Asia, and Country Manager for China at The Woolmark Company, states, "ICICLE's pursuit of the vision 'Oneness with Nature' coincides with the philosophy of The Woolmark Company. This collaboration marks another significant milestone in our journey to promote quality sustainable fashion."
The co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of ICICLE, Mr. Ye Shouzeng emphasises that, “this project perfectly illustrates our unending search for the finest raw materials produced in the most responsible way and has also inspired us to offer the first ICICLE Natural Way Award to both farms. This new global award recognises exceptional effort in the preservation of the environment through innovation. It will honour companies and individuals in all spheres who have demonstrated a special care for the environment, and most importantly proactively explore a more advanced harmony between man and nature, endorsing our founding ethos ‘a natural way of creating, a natural way of producing, a natural way of living’.”
From the luscious grasslands of the Australian outback to the sophisticated streets of Paris or Shanghai—The Woolmark Company × ICICLE Traceable Wool Collection is now launched across ICICLE's offline and online stores.
About The Woolmark Company:
The Woolmark Company is the global authority on wool. Through our extensive network of relationships spanning the international textile and fashion industries, we highlight Australian wool’s position as the world’s premium, sustainable fibre that is optimal for circular, traceable products.
The Woolmark logo is one of the world’s most recognised and respected brands, providing assurance of the highest quality, and representing pioneering excellence and innovation from farm through to finished product.
The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit enterprise that conducts research, development and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool on behalf of about 60,000 woolgrowers that help fund the company.