New York – It was a night for a competition that would change one designers career,
well in this case two. The winners of this year’s International Woolmark
Prize were selected, and Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones of Teatum Jones
from the United Kingdom came out on top.
The design duo was so flabbergasted by their win, they stuttered while
saying “Wool has got such a rich history, and we are really happy to be a
part of that legacy.”
The other five labels competing this season included J Koo from South
Korea, Bianca Spender from Australia, Nanna van Blaaderen from The
Netherlands, Taller Marmo from the United Arab Emirates, and Tanya Taylor
from the U.S.A.
The runway show was the last chance the designers had to showcase their
collections before a panel of judges which included former Vogue
editor-at-large, Andre Leon Talley, editor-in-chief of W, Stefano Tonchi,
ceo of Business of Fashion, Imran Amed, fashion consultant, Julie Gilhart,
managing director of Woolmark, Stuart McCullough, fashion designer, Thakoon
Panichgul, fashion editor, Tim Blanks, executive director of Just Group,
Colette Garnsey, fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue, Roopal Patel,
buying director of mytheresa.com, Justin O’Shea, womenswear general manager
of David Jones, Sophie Clark, group fashion buying director of Harvey
Nichols, Anita Barr, fashion and buying director of Boutique 1, Bridget
Cosgrave, and Kenji Yamashita, the general manager of ladies and intimate
apparel for Isetan Mitsukoshi.
While Teatum Jones came out on top, the other designers proved that they
were also skilled users of merino wool as well.
J. Koo had a strong Asian street style influence to his collection, and
paid homage to denim. The collection, which was inspired by female mine
workers from the Gold Rush era was very innovative. The label took wool and
readapted it to create wool denim that had to undergo a series to wash
tests and experiments conducted on it to ensure it would look as close to
traditional denim as possible.
Bianca Spender from Australia created a collection that brought the old
money look of the 50s and combined it with contemporary glamour. Part of
the inspiration for her collection came from the idea of clothing as
shelter, protection, and form of currency.
Nanna van Blaaderen had a few construction issues in her collection. The
first dress she sent down the runway was impossible to walk in, and there
was a lack of variety in looks, however it was by far one of the most
cohesive collections in the competition. The jackets also had a very
eccentric euro feel to them.
Taller Marmo proved that the UAE will be the next geographic area to
dominate the fashion market. Their use of metallics along with just the
perfect hint of patterns helped them accomplish their goal of finding a new
dimension for Merino wool “one full of craftsmanship, multiculturalism, and
fantasy.”
Tanya Taylor’s collection was contemporary American glamour at its finest.
The designer took curved edges and graphic lines and enhanced them with
Merino wool. The soft flowing and feminine garments in her collection were
the epitome of contemporary American glamour.
Despite the stiff competition from other designers, Teatum Jones with their
high level of craftsmanship still came out on top. The design duo worked
with a specialist guipure lace mill in northern France to help create
geometric patterns with Merino laces. This marked a first for the mill in
its 130-year history.
To top it off, the designers then went to Italy to develop a scuba feeling
stretch wool upon which they bonded Merino lace. The brand had everything
in place to take them over the edge, and it was well worth it once they won
the prize.
“The decision was virtually unanimous,” said Talley of the judges choice of
Teatum Jones as this year’s winner.
In regards to the importance of the prize, Tonchi said “This is an
incredibly important prize, not only does it help [designers] finance their
collection, it puts them on them on the international stage.”
While Teatum and Jones didn’t immediately comment on what they’d use the
money for, they are now easily poised for business growth. To give an
indication of what this could mean for them, past Woolmark Prize winners
include designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent.
The International Woolmark Prize celebrates outstanding fashion talents
from around the globe who showcase the beauty and versatility of Merino
wool.
Today, the International Woolmark Prize continues to recognize design
excellence using Australia’s preeminent natural fibre. The prize crosses
borders and cultures to spotlight young fashion stars from hotspots in more
than 20 countries before a who’s who of the international fashion industry.
photos:worth-project.eu