The International Woolmark Prize (IWP) 2015/16 finale is inching closer. Split into two categories—menswear and womenswear—the twelve emerging designer finalists that won their respective regional divisions will present their Merino wool-based capsule collections to a jury panel to take home the grand prize in the coming weeks. Each category winner will receive AU $100,000 (AED/SAR 255,317) that will go towards supporting the development of his/her business, in addition to mentorship, and the collections being stocked at global retailers such as Harvey Nichols, Mytheresa.com, and Boutique1.com.
The menswear award is set to take place during Pitti Uomo, and includes designers Agi & Sam (UK), Munsoo Kwon (South Korea), P. Johnson (Australia), Jonathan Christopher (Netherlands), Suketdhir (India), and Siki Im (USA). Meanwhile, the womenswear award, which is due to take place in February during New York Fashion Week Fall 2016, will include UAE-based label and Fashion Prize finalist Taller Marmo, which will go head-to-head with Bianca Spender (Australia), J Koo(South Korea), Nanna van Blaaderen (Netherlands), Tanya Taylor (USA), and Teatum Jones (UK).
With the anticipation building, IWP has launched an interactive platform called Chain Reaction. Inviting people to participate in the IWP experience, Chain Reaction incites users to creatively manipulate an image from each of the designer’s capsule collections in real-time, which can then be shared across social media platforms. Internet artist Ezra Miller designs the special effects, while Italian DJ Adriano Clemente helps you to get in a creative mood.
