Today, The Woolmark Company and Raf Simons have announced a partnership for the designer’s FW17 collection.

Merino wool will play a central role in the creation of Simons’ FW17 designs – putting the iconic Woolmark brand and Merino wool centre stage at the designer’s forthcoming show in New York.

“I appreciate that The Woolmark Company encourages brands to come up with innovative ways to work with Merino wool – a material that I love and often use in my own collections,” says Simons. “It feels very natural for me to partner with The Woolmark Company to create something special using the finest wool in the world.”

Supporting innovations and sourcing of Merino wool, the Australian company will work closely with Simons and his team to utilise the versatility of Merino wool and engineer new techniques for working with it.

Through our partnership with Raf Simons, one of the industry’s most creative visionaries we are able to demonstrate the distinct versatility of Merino wool far beyond its traditional positioning in the suiting market,”says The Woolmark Company’s Managing Director, Stuart McCullough. “Through his iconic work, Raf Simons will bring a newfound creativity to the world of wool.”