Italian mill pays premiums for New Zealand's springy fine wool
Wool with curvature of 75 and above makes springy, wrinkle-resistant fabric for some of the world’s best-known fashion houses.
|November 5, 2026Listen to the full interview:
A wool buyer for an Italian luxury mill says it pays premiums for high-curvature New Zealand fine wool.
Vitale Barberis Canonico wool buyer Stephanie Boyce says it buys only wool of 22 micron and finer.
She says wool with curvature of 75 and above makes a springy fabric. “You can throw your suit onto a chair, you can crumble it up on the ground and you can pick that back up … there’s no wrinkles in the fabric.”
Boyce says it holds contracts with growers through their brokers to secure specialty wools hard to buy at auction.
She says New Zealand’s mulesing ban helps the credibility of its wool industry.
Boyce says broader micron prices have declined slightly. “Long term I do believe that the only way is up.”
To learn more, visit vitalebarberiscanonico.it
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