ICONIC Australian fashion label, Country Road, has gone hi-tech when it comes to telling the story behind the wool producers that contribute to its Merino garments.
Each and every fibre of the company's Merino knits can be mapped back to Australian farms, thanks to its Traceable Wool Merino garments which were launched in 2018.
That was stepped up further this year as Country Road partnered with Oritain, a technology company that scientifically traces and verifies where raw fibres come from.
Oritain maps the chemical fingerprint of most of the world's wool, allowing it to verify where a product originated.
In turn, retailers and brands can work with Oritain to verify the origin of the wool used in their garments.
The company says its "fingerprint" traceability method cannot be forged or altered and is unique to the country of origin.
The concept is in line with the company's commitment to greater transparency.
A Country Road spokesperson said customers were keen to know the origin of their purchase.
"We are committed to providing greater visibility of where and how the materials in our products are farmed," the spokesperson said.
"The feedback from our customers has been extremely positive and we've seen a strong impact on sales since launching the campaign in May.
"Our campaign video, A Good Yarn, has attracted the highest rate of online engagement of all our campaigns to date, and our customers are telling us they're proud of the work we're doing."
The positive reception of the technology has prompted Country Road to plan an expansion into other clothing lines, although exact details have been kept under wraps for the time being.
The brand has gone to great lengths to maintain its "back to farm" connection through its branding, something the Traceable Wool Merino range fits into.
"Country Road is an iconic Australian brand that is committed to supporting Australian farmers," the spokesperson said.
"Australian wool is regarded worldwide as the ultimate natural fibre and premier material in luxury apparel, and we are proud to include it in our range."
Australian Wool Innovation chief executive officer, Stuart McCullough, said Country Road's commitment to the Australian wool industry had evolved into something which was vital in the work the organisation did.
Country Road will retail more than 180 designs made of wool in store and online, ranging from apparel, accessories and home styles.
