Your browser is not fully supported. Please upgrade your browser.

Passer au contenu principal
Environment

Venetian Gondoliers win Eco-Stewardship Award for use of wool in iconic uniforms


Venice’s iconic gondoliers have been awarded the second Eco-Stewardship Award at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in Italy for their use of Merino wool in their classic blue-and-white-striped uniforms.

Presented by actress and environmental activist Shailene Woodley, the award recognises the Venice’s 443 gondoliers for their innovative use of responsibly sourced Australian Merino wool. For more than 1000 years, gondolas have been a primary means of transport along the Venetian canals. Then, in 2017, Al Duca D’Aosta’s Venetian brand Emilio Ceccato - in collaboration with The Woolmark Company and the Association of Venetian Gondoliers - created a new uniform, crafted from Australian Merino wool.

“This year’s Eco-Stewardship award links the outfits of 400 gondoliers in Venice with Australia’s finest Merino herds thanks to a brilliant project re-connecting a centuries-old-tradition with a centuries-old-fibre.”

Shailene Woodley

GCFA-gondoliers-quote2.jpg

Historically, wool was a major part of the gondoliers’ uniforms. Now, after almost a century, the gondoliers of Venice have rediscovered wool for their uniforms. Their job requires high-level physical performance in extremely variable weather conditions. The return to Merino wool usage confirms the ability of this natural fibre renewable and biodegradable to respond to their needs and showcase it to the 20+ million tourists who visit Venice each year. The city’s gondoliers now wear the iconic blue and white stripe uniform comprising a T-shirt, a sweater and a quilted vest as they navigate their way through the Serenissima canals.

“We are extremely glad for this new partnership with Emilio Ceccato and The Woolmark Company,” explains Association of Venetian Gondoliers president Andrea Balbi. “Wearing Australian Merino wool, a 100% natural and biodegradable fibre, as the gondoliers used to do at the beginning of the 10th Century, adds value and pride to our profession but, most importantly, enables us to work with higher comfort even in extreme weather situations and gives us the opportunity to contribute to sustainability.”

inline-1.jpginline-2.jpg

Venice’s gondoliers recognised for their return to wool in the iconic uniforms.


Despite being a new addition to the fashion calendar, the awards have established themselves as one of the world’s foremost sustainability and fashion events. This year’s event attracted the biggest names in fashion and entertainment. Attendees included Adut Akech, Jon Kortajarena, Stella McCartney, Sophia Loren, Alessandra Ambrosio, Doutzen Kroes, Barbara Palvin, Elsa Hosk, Amber Valletta, Candice Swanepoel, Eric Underwood, Sinead Burke, Olivia Palermo, Ian Somerhalder, Nikki Reed, Pixie Geldof, Jess Glynne, Kat Graham, Lea T, Toni Garrn, Colin Firth and hosts Carlo Capasa and Livia Firth.

Last year, the inaugural Eco-Stewardship Award was presented by Oscar-winning Australian actress Cate Blanchett to Australian woolgrowers, recognised for their passion, dedication and commitment to both environmental and animal health to produce the world’s best wool - undoubtedly the green thread in sustainable fashion.

Keep reading
30 août 2019
Performance

Nagnata’s latest Merino collection made from zero waste yarn

30 août 2019
Lifestyle label Nagnata returns to Merino wool as its hero fibre, creating a retro-inspired studio-to-street collection from zero waste yarn.
Performance

Les uniformes en laine mérinos de l’équipe Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli| Woolmark

The Woolmark Company est le partenaire technique officiel de l’équipe Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli à l’America’s Cup, dont l’équipe de navigation porte des uniformes en laine créés par The Woolmark Company.
10 janv. 2019
Fibre

The benefits of wool

10 janv. 2019
Australian wool is the first choice for many leading apparel designers and interior architects.
Innovations en matière de produits

Laine hydrophobe et résistant au vent

Grâce aux dernières techniques de filage Optim, Woolmark et Nanshan ont mis au point un tissu composé à 100 % de laine mérinos australienne résistant au vent et à la pluie.