TREVISO, Italy — February 8, 2019 — On occasion of the 88th annual congress of the International Wool Textile Organization, Benetton opens its doors to the IWTO’s 88th annual congress and its participants for one day, on April 11. A member of the IWTO since 2017, Benetton Group is the first European fashion company to have joined the organization, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and transparency in the supply chain.
Combining Italy’s rich wool heritage with the latest research and developments in wool applications, the congress, with the theme “Wool in Excellence”, will run April 9-12, 2019, in Venice and Treviso. Speakers will address topics including sustainability, wool décor, and health and wellness.
The Veneto region’s long tradition of wool weaving goes back to the fourteenth century, when master silk weavers fleeing political persecution in Tuscany established themselves in the lagoon city-state of Venice. By the sixteenth century, the flourishing silk trade had led to the production of wool.
Just across the road bridge from Venice’s Piazzale Roma, along the via della Lana, Benetton’s hometown of Treviso still boasts a vibrant woollen and worsted industry today, with some of Italy’s key spinners, weavers and retailers having been established there since the first half of the 19th century.
Benetton is the torchbearer of this long tradition, with knitwear and wool playing a central part in its overall strategy and identity. The IWTO Congress provides it with an opportunity to strengthen its commitment to sustainability and transparency in the supply chain, actively participating in discussions on current important issues, such as recycling, research on yarn quality and traceability within the industry.
Posted February 9, 2019
Source: Benetton Group
