Faustine Steinmetz and Cottweiler have been named the winners of the
Woolmark Prize’s British Isles regional competition, and will go on to
compete for the international 2016/17 awards early next year.
The winners were announced during a ceremony at the Australian High
Commission in London, with Faustine Steinmetz winning the womenswear
competition, while Cottweiler, designed by Ben Cottrell and Matthew Dainty,
took the award for menswear.
Faustine Steinmetz, impressed judges including designer Roksanda Ilincic
and Dylan Jones, with her womenswear piece that featured raw Merino wool
fibre that was dyed it in different shades of indigo before felting it onto
a Merino base fabric.
“Faustine showed incredible creativity and an almost couture-like
technique with her approach to the look and the wool fibre,” said Roksanda
Ilincic. “There was scalability from something that was more artistic and
experimental to something that is commercial, which was one of the great
points of her collection.”
Commenting on her win, Steinmetz added: “It feels so startling to have
won and I’m really happy. Wool is the most versatile material and I’m
excited to develop this collection for the international final.”
For their winning menswear look, designers Ben Cottrell and Matthew
Dainty from Cottweiler, worked with an Italian mill that specialising in
technical, high-performance sportswear to create their signature Cottweiler
tracksuit that bonded 95 percent merino wool to a nylon merino mix.
“It’s a real honour for us to be able to do our classic look and
reimagine it for the prize,” the Cottweiler designers explained. “The
technical properties of the natural Merino wool allow the garment to be
windproof, waterproof and breathable – and all of this in the Cottweiler
style.”
Topman creative director Gordon Richardson, who was also on the judging
panel, added: “Cottweiler are a young brand but they understand what’s
happening in menswear now. They have youthful content and were very clever
with how they transformed wool in the sportswear arena.
“That’s something you don’t usually see and the collection was something
you want to wear right now. That’s the real skill of a designer – they are
definitely in the moment.”
Each label will now receive a financial contribution of 50,000
Australian dollars, approximately 28,617 pounds, to represent the British
Isle in the international final, as well as mentoring supporting from a
global panel of experts along with a Woolmark licence.
For the next six months, the winning designers will develop a capsule
collection in Merino wool, to be showcased at one of two Woolmark events
that will highlight the six menswear finalists and six womenswear finalists
selected from across the globe.
Cottweiler will compete in the final for menswear during London
Collections: Men in January 2017, while Faustine Steinmetz will take part
in the womenswear final to be held in Paris, also in January 2017.
If they are both crowned the international winners early next year they
will receive a further 100,000 Australian dollars, approximately 57,234
pounds, to assist with fabric sourcing and marketing of their collection.
The winner will also have the opportunity to have their collections stocked
at retailers including Harvey Nichols, David Jones in Australia, Verso in
Belgium, Leclaireur in Paris, Boon the Shop in South Korea, The Papilion in
Indonesia, and Boutique 1 in the United Arab Emirates, as well online
through MyTheresa.com and Matchesfashion.com.
“Both winners displayed an innate understanding of the fibre, a keen
commercial sensibility, and a great design aesthetic,” said judge Dylan
Jones. “They both appear to have the ability to turn their designs and
Merino wool into successful retail collections.”
Images: courtesy of Woolmark Prize/Jason Lloyd-Evans