The 2023 International Woolmark Prize finalists have been announced, and this year is as strong as ever. With a line-up that includes Robyn Lynch, RHUDE (Rhuigi Villaseñor), Lagos Space Programme, BLUEMARBLE, A. ROEGE HOVE, Paolina Russo, MAXXIJ and MARCO RAMBALDI, the finalists this year were set to explore the theme of “Dialogue,” aimed to proffer a “letter to, and for, the next generation.”
With this in mind, The Woolmark Company aims to bring these talented young designers and the industry together as it has done since 1936. Previous winners, such as Saul Nash, Cottweiler, Edward Crutchley, Richard Malone, and BODE, have all gone on to explore how their clothes and design talent can speak to the younger, more conscious generation, and the same is to be set for this year’s hopeful finalists.
Speaking on the award, The Woolmark Company managing director John Roberts said:
“This group of finalists represents the next generation of creative game-changers, who all want to design fashion for a better tomorrow. As the fashion and textile industry continues to evolve amongst an ever-changing landscape, we hope that our support throughout the International Woolmark Prize will inspire and propel design and business strategies of our eight finalists. I would personally like to congratulate these finalists on behalf of the Australian woolgrowers and also thank the Advisory Council for helping decide our final eight.”
In order to win, the finalists will be judged by a panel on their designs. This year, they have to produce six Merino wool looks as part of their Fall/Winter 2022 collection or a standalone IWP2023 capsule, both of which are aimed to highlight the material’s sustainability and versatility. The prize includes an initial sum of $60,000 AUD (approx. £33,500 GBP or $40,000 USD), as well as mentoring from industry leaders including Holli Rogers, Chief Brand Officer, Farfetch; Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, Global Fashion Editor-at-Large, Vogue and Stylist; Sara Sozzani Maino, Scouting and Educational Initiatives Advisor Vogue Italia and International Brand Ambassador Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana; Sinéad Burke, Educator and Advocate; Shaway Yeh, Founder YehYehYeh and Group Style Editorial Director Modern Media Group; and Tim Blanks, Editor-at-Large, Business of Fashion.
As for one finalist (the subsequent winner), they will be awarded $200,000 AUD (approx. £112,000 GBP or $132,000 USD), while another will be awarded $100,000 AUD via the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation, and all finalists have the chance to be stocked at leading retailers around the world courtesy of the International Woolmark Prize Retailer Network.
Stay tuned to Hypebeast for more news about the prize, with winners set to be announced in April 2023.
Elsewhere, here is your recent round-up of fashion industry news.
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