Mohair Council Looking Beyond
Traditional Outlets For Fiber

SAN ANGELO — The Mohair Council of America is striving to put mohair fiber where it has never been before.

"We have started an apparel development project which should help make the industry more stable and produce apparel that is timeless," says MCA executive director Zane Willard." The ups and downs of fashion have not been good for our product."

In recent weeks, a new type of sweater has been developed containing 30 percent adult mohair and 70 percent acrylic. Willard says the council is calling the garment the "No-hair Mohair" sweater because it does not have the traditional fuzzy look.

"This is a heavy Shetland type of sweater that has a softer feel and is more affordable. It is not a fashion sweater," he insists.

The apparel development project was initiated by Dick Pactor of the council's New York marketing office and Willard, working together toward reaching customers in the mass market.

The yarn for the garment is being spun in the United Kingdom, and knitting machines in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and South Korea are producing the sweater in a number of different styles and colors.

"We are really excited about this," Willard says. "We are trying to get away from one dimensional products and get new products on the retail shelves."

Another new apparel product is a hunter's vest or jacket made of a boiled wool and mohair blend. The boiled wool vest, popular for years in New Zealand as an all-weather garment, has a felted look. It is lightweight but warm. Another outdoor type of garment the council is working to produce is a loden cloth coat containing mohair.

"We are trying to diversify, and these garments should do well for rugged outdoor activity," Willard explains. The first garments will be arriving in August for the fall 1998 market.

One of the best selling items in the apparel market is a fuzzy looking garment made of 100 percent synthetic fiber called "polar fleece."

Willard says the council is working to develop a yarn containing 25 to 35 percent mohair that can be used in making a type of "polar fleece" for the activewear industry.

Other areas in which the Mohair Council is working include a washability study, additional yarn and fabric development, and a possible consumer preference study.