The four European designers who will compete for the International Woolmark Prize in 2019 have just been announced.
From the UK, ex-Fashion East menswear designer Edward Crutchley and CSM graduate menswear designers Nicholas Daley and Daniel W. Fletcher are joined by Swedish menswear designer Cmmn Swdn. A further four finalists were announced in Hong Kong earlier this month — China’s Zhi Chen of I-Am-Chen and Angel Chen, South Korea’s Mooyeol Lee of Youser and Japan’s Yohei Ohno — and the four remaining finalists are set to be announced in New York later this month.
Each will receive a financial contribution of approximately £40,000 to invest in the creation and manufacturing of their merino-wool capsule collection. They will also receive mentoring, business training and showcasing opportunities.
At the final, taking place in London in February 2019, one menswear and one womenswear designer will win approximately £110,000 and see their designs placed in some of the most prolific boutique across the world. There will also be a further prize for the finalist who has best addressed the functional needs of the environment, The Innovation Award, with a prize of around £50,000.
Last year Portland-based label Dyne was awarded the inaugural Innovation Prize thanks to his tech-infused snowboarding wardrobe. The Menswear Prize went to London favourite Matthew Miller, praised for his multifunctional, environmentally conscious designers. The Womenswear Prize went to New Delhi-based label Bodice, whose garments addressed the issue of consumer waste in fashion with traditional techniques of recycling.
Previous winners of the Woolmark Prize include the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld.