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On April 26, the highly-acclaimed International Woolmark Prize will return to London for another year. Following the announcement of finalists in November, a panel of leading experts and tastemakers has been curated to form the 2022 jury. Based on this year’s theme, Play, a lineup of industry experts will consider the collections of seven finalists.
The jury will be made up of Tim Blanks – Editor-at-Large, Business of Fashion, Sinéad Burke – Educator, Advocate and Founder, Tilting the Lens, Naomi Campbell – Model, Activist & Businesswoman, Edward Enninful OBE – Editor-in-Chief, British Vogue and European Editorial Director, Vogue, Ben Gorham – Founder & Creative Director, Byredo and Ibrahim Kamara – Editor-in-Chief, Dazed. They will also be joined by Pieter Mulier – Creative Director, Alaïa, Marc Newson CBE – Industrial Designer, Carine Roitfeld – Founder & Editor-in-Chief, CR Fashion Book, Riccardo Tisci – Chief Creative Officer, Burberry, Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski – Artistic Director, Hermès Women’s Ready-to-wear and lastly Shaway Yeh – Founder, yehyehyeh & Group Style Editorial Director, Modern Media Group.
“The new generation influences us to make fashion more democratic, more engaged, more connected to the world,” says Alaïa Creative Director Pieter Mulier. “They ask for an evolution, a radical change; clothes that last, respect their bodies and the environment. I’m thrilled to be part of the International Woolmark Prize, an initiative that strongly supports innovation, creation and sustainability.”
The seven finalists are tasked with designing and creating a six-look collection and are invited to experiment with textiles, design and business practices to drive change and innovation for a brighter future. Using merino wool, each designer will need to highlight transparency throughout their supply chain and a Common Objective sustainability roadmap as part of a commitment to better industry practices.
Finalists are discovered all over the globe and this year feature, Ahluwalia (United Kingdom), EGONLAB (France), Jordan Dalah (Australia), MMUSOMAXWELL (South Africa), Peter Do (USA), Rui (China) and Saul Nash (United Kingdom), from hundreds of applications. One overall winner will receive AU$200,000 and one designer will receive AU$100,000 for the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation.
“It is an honour to participate in the International Woolmark Prize, which I believe, plays an important role in redefining the importance of innovation and creativity within the world of fashion,” explains BYREDO Founder Ben Gorham. “I believe the empowerment and freedom of young minds contribute greatly to the evolution of this space in an important manner.”
The IWP network of alumni includes the late Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Emily Bode Aujla, Richard Malone, Angel Chen, Gabriela Hearst, Rahul Mishra and Matty Bovan.
