A Launchpad for Designers Who Shaped an Era

The International Woolmark Prize (IWP) revives an international fashion contest that made fashion history, when in 1954, the IWS (International Wool Secretariat), the predecessor to The Woolmark Company, discovered a 21-year-old Karl Lagerfeld and an 18-year-old Yves Saint Laurent. It is an international award presented to the next generation of designers who can fashionably express the diverse properties of Merino wool.



For the third edition of the IWP, a menswear category has been added for the first time, meaning a total of two designers, one from menswear and one from womenswear, will be awarded at each regional final. Regional finals are being held in five areas: Asia, Australia, Europe, India & the Middle East, and the Americas, with a total of 10 finalists selected.



The five menswear finalists will present during London Collections: Men in January 2015, and the five womenswear finalists will present in Beijing in March 2015. The winning menswear and womenswear finalists will each receive AUD 100,000 to support material sourcing and collection marketing.

Furthermore, the collections of the final winners will be available at world-class retailers such as the IWP partners Harvey Nichols in the UK, Joyce in China, Saks Fifth Avenue in the US, Colette in France, 10 Corso Como in Italy, mytheresa.com, David Jones in Australia, and the newly added retail partner Isetan Mitsukoshi in Japan.

Sise and Vmajor Selected as Asia's Representatives

Under the scrutiny of judges including Angelica Cheung, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue China; Mr. Takehiko Suzuki, General Manager of the Men's & Sports Division, Men's Third Product Department at Isetan Mitsukoshi; Mr. Kazushi Nakagawa, Manager, Women's & Children's Division at Isetan Mitsukoshi; model and David Jones representative Jessica Gomes; Mr. Masafumi Suzuki, Editor-in-Chief of GQ Japan; and Thakoon Panichgul, owner and designer of Thakoon, Sise from Japan was selected as the menswear finalist representing Asia, and Vmajor from China was chosen as the womenswear finalist representing Asia.

Sise presented a layered look using green melton made from Merino wool, showcasing a highly polished and balanced aesthetic. Vmajor, with its unique approach to traditional wear, expressed the characteristics of knitwear in a new way by styling outerwear as a skirt, creating a twisted silhouette.

The two winners have earned the opportunity to compete in the final competition as Asia's representatives. They will vie for the International Woolmark Prize as one of the five menswear and five womenswear representatives selected from around the globe.

THE WOOLMARK COMPANY
Tel. 03-6447-1412
http://www.merino.com/jp/

Images courtesy of The Woolmark Company