Australians try to pull the wool over the tropics

Australians try to pull the wool over the tropics

Text by Dini S. Djalal and photos by Samuel Sunarto

JAKARTA (JP): "I don't care what people say. Wool is hot
stuff," says Martina, an Australian living in Jakarta. Martina is
talking about wearing traditionally winter fabrics in tropical
temperatures.

"I wouldn't wear wool in this country," Martina adds. "Unless
I'm staying at the Hyatt all day," she laughs.

American executive Tanya agrees that wool is simply not cool.
"I have a couple of wool jackets for formal meetings but I only
wear them if I'm certain I will be in sub-zero temperatures," she
says.

Ingrained attitudes like these are keeping the Australia-based
International Wool Secretariat (IWS) very busy. The IWS was in
Jakarta recently to introduce wol tropis (tropical wool) to
Indonesia's immense consumer market. A fashion show on June 18
featuring ready-to-wear wool collections by both international
and Indonesian designers, as well as the first batik apparel made
of wool, followed a seminar illustrating wool's potential to
local textile manufacturers.

The show was a success, says Paul Regnault, director of the
IWS-funded research project currently perfecting wool-batikking
methods. "We are seeing a lot of interest from textile
manufacturers who want to introduce new products and use
something other than polyester," says Regnault. The IWS is
currently negotiating with industry giants PT Argo Pantes and PT
Hadtex, and PT Georgia Macquarie Indonusa is reportedly investing
US$10 million in a wool-production plant here.

Heaps of sheep

But is "tropical wool" merely Australia's marketing spin for a
nation deep in sheep? The world's largest wool producer and
exporter -- Australia exports 98 percent of its wool production
and counts wool as its biggest export earner -- would be foolish
to sidestep the 190-million-population of its next-door neighbor.
"Yes, we've a lot of wool we want to get rid of," admits Paul
Regnault.

Regnault adds, however, that there are great benefits in
marketing wool in Indonesia. "Sure, we've got heaps of sheep, but
everyone's got an angle," says Regnault. "Look at all the air-
conditioned buildings in this city. In those buildings, you can
wear lightweight wool, which absorbs moisture," he adds.

Local industrialists merely have to decide at which stage of
production they want to enter. "Maybe developing the specialized
spinning and weaving capability requires some capital," Regnault
suggests.

But once the equipment is in place, Regnault says vast
opportunities for export await. "The industry isn't limited to
fashion garments. You can also export blankets and sportswear,"
Regnault points out. And a major incentive to produce wool is the
higher retail price it commands. Pure wool and wool-blend
products often sell at up to double the price of cotton or
synthetic products.

Prospects for higher earnings exist not only for giant
manufacturers but also for smaller producers. In particular, the
ailing batik industry is well positioned to benefit from this new
development.

Winter

"Batik wool would be great for overseas markets, for winter
clothes. Anything we sell in silk we can also sell in wool,"
explains designer Ghea Panggabean. She says her indigo and brick-
red Batik Tuban in wool, cut into elegant sarongs and Chinese-
influenced cropped jackets, were well-received by both local and
foreign buyers.

Was the fabric not thick and itchy? "Absolutely not," Ghea
insists. "Besides, wool falls beautifully. If you don't try it
yourself, you won't know," she argues.

Iwan Tirta, Indonesia's foremost batik designer, was also
well-rewarded for his risky venture. "We sold more than half of
our collection," says Tirta's assistant Pauly. The shawls were
particularly popular, he adds, because they provide a warmer
alternative to silk batik scarves in cool weather.

If Tirta's colorful, dramatic batiks -- in ultramarine, apple-
green, and fuchsia, as well as traditional gold-and-brown hues --
were the star of the show, it's because it has taken him seven
months to process the batiks. "The colors came out so well
because we painstakingly followed the process worked out by the
IWS," says Pauly. The process of batikking wool takes twice as
long as batikking more traditional materials such as silk and
cotton.

Maintaining fabric softness is as important, and as difficult,
as preserving colors. Regnault explains that after multiple
applications of dye, wax, washing agents, and heat, the wool may
become stripped of its protein -- essentially turning the fabric
into canvas. "The timing process is very critical. Wool isn't
like cotton which you can wash for as long as you want -- Wool
needs a little more care and attention," says Regnault. Regnault
admits that the IWS' next step is to implement educational and
training programs on the proper treatment of wool.

Educating the textile industry may prove less challenging than
changing the public's perceptions of wool as accessories for an
Arctic expedition. When asked if she would wear wool in
Indonesia, 25 year-old financial analyst Ruby said, "Normally?
No."

Ghea argues, however, that most working women in Indonesia do
wear wool or wool-blends in suits. "If you look at the ladies who
go out, they are all wearing imported light-weight wool suits.
All those Armani suits are wool-blend," says Ghea. She plans to
include more woolens in her collection, to be sold on the
domestic market.

Some consumers, however, remain unconvinced. "Sure, I've got
some light-weight wool clothes," says Tanya, an American living
in Jakarta. But, adds Tanya, "They're still hanging in the
closet."