Established in 1953 as the International Wool Secretariat Prize, this prestigious award has given a number of young designers the recognition they deserve, including a young, unknown Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. The most recent winner, announced in February 2016, was UK design duo Teatum Jones, who were chosen by a panel including Andre Leon Talley, Tim Blanks and Thakoon Panichgul for their innovative use of Australian wool.
The just-announced shortlist of womenswear designers from the British Isles consists of Ryan Lo, Ashley Williams, Faustine Steinmetz and Danielle Romeril and for the menswear category, Craig Green, Liam Hodges, Cottweiler and Baartmans & Seigel have been chosen, reflecting the abundance of talented young designers here in Britain.
These eight designers will competing for the British regional award on 5 July at the Australian High Commission in London, with some going on to compete for the international award. 12 finalists chosen from 61 countries will receive a AU$50,000 contribution towards their next collection, and the overall international winner, announced in early 2017 will receive AU$100,000.
Credits
Text Lula Ososki
Pphotography Jason Lloyd Evans