Lamb
1 May, 2025
Wool awards for Rowbottom’s
WESTERN district farmers David and Susan Rowbottom, and Aaron and Rebecca Rowbottom, have shone brightly at the 2025 Zegna Wool Awards.
The awards, which were announced in Melbourne during the 61st edition of the Zegna Wool Awards, highlighted the efforts and achievements of woolgrowers in their pursuit of the finest wool in the world.
David and Susan (of Rowensville) took home this year’s Vellus Aureum Trophy, while Myndarra’s Aaron and Rebecca finished in a creditable third place.
The competition, structured across the Wool Trophy and the Vellus Aureum Trophy, continues to encourage and reward wool growers for their commitment to quality and to guarantee the best industry practices for wool processing.
The winning wool bales and fleeces are judged according to a strict set of criteria including fineness, style, strength, colour and evenness.
It was in this context that, in 2023, ZEGNA made history, setting a world record with a single wool fleece (winner of the Vellus Aureum Trophy) with an exceptional fineness of just 9.4 microns.
The inherent excellence and unique characteristics of this incredible natural fibre have allowed ZEGNA to continue to perfect the beauty, the quality, and the performance of its products.
In particular, Australian wool has been, and continues to be, key to creating many of the brand’s most precious fabrics and exclusive garments, honouring the founder’s dream and upholding his legacy.
This year ZEGNA honoured Australia’s best woolgrowers by awarding the “Wool Trophy” and the “Vellus Aureum Trophy” during an exclusive celebration hosted in beautiful Mornington Peninsula, Victoria by Paolo Zegna, third generation of the Zegna family and Member of the Board of Directors of Ermenegildo Zegna Group.
“We’ve been on this quest for the extraordinary since 1963, supporting and working with the woolgrowers in their pursuit of the finest wool,” Paolo Zegna said.
“To this day we remain committed to upholding this legacy as we continue to align with the evolving culture codes and recognising the importance of change.
“We believe in honouring tradition while inspiring creativity and innovation giving us a feeling of anticipation and renewed sense of optimism when looking to the future of wool.”