Woolmark unveils the eight finalists for the 2023 International Woolmark Prize. For more than sixty years, the Woolmark Prize to celebrate Merino wool has supported the most promising emerging young designers through its fashion awards and talent development program. The eight brands selected represent the next generation of creative game-changers, destined to design fashion for a better tomorrow whilst highlighting the beauty, versatility and eco-credentials of Merino wool.
The eight finalists will each develop six Merino wool looks as part of their Autumns/Winter 2023 collection, or a standalone IWP2023 capsule collection which highlights the innate versatility, innovative nature and eco-credentials of Merino wool. This year, the collections will be related to the theme of “Dialogue”, which "represents both an important element in the creative process and acts as a letter both to, and for, the next generation", said the company in a statement.
One finalist will be awarded the International Woolmark Prize and receive AU$200,000 to invest in the development of their business. The Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation will be awarded to another finalist, with the winner receiving AU$100,000. The Woolmark Supply Chain Award will also be presented, celebrating outstanding contribution from a trade partner driving wool supply chain innovation.
This year’s International Woolmark Prize finalists join an impressive alumni network including Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino Garavani, Gabriela Hearst, Rahul Mishra, BODE, Matty Bovan and, most recently, Saul Nash.
Discover the eight young talents for the 2023 International Woolmark Prize.
A. ROEGE HOVE
Founded by Amalie Røge Hove, from Denmark, A. Roege Hove is a conceptual knitwear brand that challenges traditions with a modern and artistic approach to original craftsmanship. With a master’s in textile design from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and years of experience as a knitwear designer for Danish brands such as Cecilie Bahnsen and Mark Tan, the designer created the brand in 2019 as a way of bringing her own visions of knitwear to life. Defined by an experimenting and intuitive way of working with traditional knitwear techniques, the brand challenges our perception of shape and pushes our expectations of the materials.
Bluemarble
Founded by Anthony Alvarez in 2019, Parisian-based brand Bluemarble is a vast and free-spirited vision propelled by exploration and youth culture, aspiring to translate diverse influences and perspectives as a shared identity. With its bold yet wearable approach every collection is a convergence of versatility and joyful energy.
Lagos Space Programme
Lagos Space Programme is a conceptual non-binary design label by Adeju Thompson. Offering intellectual, ready-to-wear, high-end crafted collections, they explore parallel concepts through multidisciplinary collaboration projects. The name of the label, founded in 2018, reflects their ethos/manifesto, a name grounded in their roots but still looking outward; a theme rooted within the notion of African futures.. The transfer of knowledge and the acknowledgment of cultural and traditional techniques reinterpreted in modern contexts are at the core of their ethos as well as sustainability, reducing inequalities amongst communities, fair pay, local sourcing, responsible production and consumption.
MARCO RAMBALDI
The Marco Rambaldi brand was born in Bologna, Italy, in 2017. The label provides a new approach to inclusion, upcycling and gender-bender aiming to challenge mass production. The brand's mission is to find excellence in materials processed by the skilled hands of Italian artisan workshops. Focusing on knitwear and outerwear, Rambaldi draws inspiration from the world of the Italian bourgeoisie of the seventies, blending them with a radically young, emotional, transversal, new aesthetic.
MAXXIJ
Launched in the fall of 2017, Maxxij's artistic vision focuses on experimental design with futuristic and boundary-pushing aesthetics. Focusing on menswear structure and tailoring, MAXXIJ features conceptual designs with avant-garde silhouettes, technically strong details, multi-fabric constructions and an innovative combination of colours.
Paolina Russo
Paolina Russo is a Canadian designer based in London. Her namesake label was founded in 2020 and is a nostalgic, rose-tinted supercut of her suburban upbringing. Tapping into memories of youth sports teams and DIY arts-and-crafts projects inform both the production and aesthetic of Russo’s avant-garde garments - stitching together a medley of upcycled and unconventional materials in jarring colour combinations.
RHUDE
Founded in Los Angeles in 2015 by Rhuigi Villaseñor in 2015, Rhude balances luxury techniques with streetwear elements, showcased as ready-to-wear collections. Designed from a narrative standpoint Rhude, is both a reflection of modern socioeconomics and personal stories as Villaseñor came to Los Angeles. Now a recurring theme season-to-season, Rhude combines American iconography with nostalgic references, a visual commentary on Los Angeles style and culture itself.
ROBYN LYNCH
Robyn Lynch is an Irish menswear designer based in London. Her eponymous label’s brand ethos and aesthetic is a celebration of Irish culture. The namesake designer pays tribute to her roots with a youthful style of silhouette, such as her method of merging traditional Irish cable knit with sportswear and technical garments.
Watch "Dialogue" here
Courtesy image Woolmark company
