BACKGROUND & HISTORY
In 1936, Australian woolgrowers voted for a six pence levy to be imposed on each bale they produced, to promote their product around the world. This audacious, visionary decision resulted in the formation of a body first known as the International Wool Secretariat (IWS). One of the initiatives of the IWS was a fashion design award to highlight the versatility and modernity of wool.

It was at the 1954 awards that two young, unknown womenswear designers, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent, stepped up onto a stage to accept their respective fashion design prizes. Lagerfeld, then 21, was the winner of the coat category. Saint Laurent, at a mere 18 years old, won the award for dress design, judged by a panel which included Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain...It was at that moment that fashion history was made.

By the 1960s synthetic fibres, discovered during the Second World War, were posing a major challenge to wool’s supremacy. To fight back, Chairman of the IWS, Sir William Vines, came up with the idea of a unique label that would be a guarantee of a product’s composition. And so the Woolmark brand was born.
To announce the launch of the Woolmark brand, in 1964 IWS organized an international competition to design a logo. The Italian graphic designer Francesco Saroglia was ultimately chosen from the dozens of entries – his proposition of five black bands criss-crossing to form a skein-shape to perfectly represent the softness, elegance and modernity of wool.

Today, the Woolmark logo is one of the world’s most well- known and respected apparel-related brands with strong relationships within the global apparel industry and with the world’s leading designers and manufacturers. The Woolmark Company continues to highlight the benefits of Australian Merino wool throughout the international fashion industry.

ABOUT THE WOOLMARK COMPANY
The Woolmark Company is the global authority on wool. Through our extensive network of relationships spanning the international textile and fashion industries, we highlight Australian wool’s positions as the ultimate natural fibre and premier ingredient in luxury apparel.

One of the world’s most recognised and respected brands, the Woolmark logo provides assurance of the highest quality. Since 1964, the symbol has represented pioneering excellence and innovation at every level of the supply chain to increase consumer demand and enhance the profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of the Australian wool industry.

Placing Merino wool firmly on the world stage, projects such as the International Woolmark Prize shine a spotlight on the boundless potential and extraordinary versatility of fashion’s finest fibre. Strengthening our reputation for fostering emerging design talent, the prestigious award connects the decision-  A key element to this strategy is building relationships with designers and working with them to showcase the most innovative and beautiful Merino wool fabrics and yarns.

Some of the more recent design awards and programs supported by the Australian wool industry include the Protégé program in 2007 which aligned some of the world’s most established designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace with young protégés of their choice. Most recently, the Woolmark Prize held in Paris in 2008 revived the original IWS awards.

Endeavouring to showcase the unique properties of wool, we support ambitious initiatives such as the world-renowned Campaign for Wool, which helps to bridge the gap between farm and fashion by highlighting the natural, biodegradable and renewable qualities of a fleece grown by sheep reared on water, air, sunshine and grass. Working with luminaries such as campaign patron HRH The Prince of Wales is key to underlining the noble heritage of the fibre.

The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a non-for-profit enterprise owned by more than 25,000 woolgrowers that invests in the research, development and marketing of Australian wool.

FUTURE OF WOOL
The International Woolmark Prize addresses the important elements required for a designer to succeed in today’s market: commerciality, adaptability, innovation and a global approach to fashion.

After a hugely successful re-launch in 2012, the International Woolmark Prize continues to gain momentum globally as more partners, retailers and designers align themselves and their brands to help promote outstanding and emerging talent from around the world.

In February 2013, Christian Wijnants from Belgium was announced the winner of the 2012/13 International Woolmark
Public School Prize during the final award event held during London
Fashion Week. In February 2014, Rahul Mishra from India was announced the overall winner of the 2013/14 competition at an emotionally charged event held during Milan Fashion Week.

This year, USA nominee Public School was awarded the inaugural menswear award during January’s London Collections: Men and the USA proved triumphant a second time when M.Patmos was awarded the womenswear award in Beijing March 17th 2015.
Rahul Mishra
M.Patmos
Christian Wijnants

Pitti Uomo 12-15/1/2016

Italian style will entwine with the finest Australian fibre when the International Woolmark Prize menswear final takes place as part of Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence.
 
Munsoo Kwon from South Korea, Agi & Sam from the British Isles, Jonathan Christopher from the Netherlands, America’s Siki Im, P.Johnson from Australia and India’s Suketdhir will compete for the prestigious award to be announced on January 13 during Italy’s premier menswear showcase.
 
The six finalists will present Merino wool collections in the historical Villa Favard, the headquarters of Florence’s renowned Polimoda - International Institute of Fashion Design and Business, during Pitti Uomo, the world’s most important trade platform for men’s clothing and accessory collections. 

WOMENSWEAR FINALISTS
TALLER MARMO , UAE
NANNA VAN BLAADEREN , THE NETHERLANDS
TANYA TAYLOR , USA
BIANCA SPENDER , AUSTRALIA
 
MENSWEAR FINALISTS
AGI & SAM , BRITISH ISLES
SUKETDHIR , INDIA
JONATHAN CHRISTOPHER , THE NETHERLANDS
MUNSOO KWON , SOUTH KOREA
TEATUM JONES, BRITISH ISLES
J KOO , KOREA
SIKI IM , USA
P.JOHNSON , AUSTRALIA

CHAIN REACTION
Showcasing the artistic ingenuity of the 2016 International Woolmark Prize finalists and proudly sponsored by The Woolmark Company, Chain Reaction is a digital public art project that celebrates innovation and creativity. The project is about connecting people from all corners of the globe through an interactive experience that evolves in real-time as a result of audience participation. With each new human interaction, the chain of collaborations grow making each participant an indispensable link in an inspiring social experience.

Creative Team
Photography by: Emma Summerton Internet Artist: Ezra Miller Web/Technology: Graphics eMotion Sound Artist: Adriano Clemente Creative Direction: Three60
We invite you to share in the journey and join the ‘Chain Reaction’.
Launching 7th January 2016
Jointhechainreaction.com

THE STORY OF MERINO WOOL: FROM SHEEP TO RETAILER
Sheep
Semi Worsted yarns fall half way between woolen and worsted yarns and can be used for finer, smoother knitwear.
Knitting
The process of interlooping yarns across the width of fabric to produce the shape of the garment.
Weaving
The forming of fabric by interlacing long threads (yarns) passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them.
Making up
Individual panels of garments are cut from flat fabrics and are sewn together to form the garment.
Fabric finishing
Woven fabrics and circular knitted fabrics go through many processes following fabric formation to make them suitable for end use. Processes are carried out to wash, flatten, reduce hairiness, stretch, consolidate, and stabilise fabrics for end use. These processes improve the appearance, drape, feel and performance of the fabrics.
Dyeing
The process of colouring the wool. Different finished effects are achieved by dyeing at the different stages of processing. Dyes can be natural or synthetic and colour can also be introduced through printing.
Ready for sale
After pressing, the garments are ticketed and labelled so consumers know how to care for their new Merino wool garment.
Australian Merino wool production begins with the breeding and selection of Merino sheep with fine fleece. Sheep live on sunlight, water and grass.

THE WOOL MARKET
-Australia is the world’s largest producer of wool, producing 341 million kilograms of fleece in 2014/2015 (Source: AWPFC April 2015) worth around AUD $2.99 billion in export value (Source: ABARES Agricultural Commodities, June 2015 quarter).
-The Australian flock has 71.6 million sheep (Source: AWPFC April 2015), with approximately three- quarters of the flock comprising Merinos.
-Australia produces around 60% of all apparel wool (< 24.5 um), and around 90% of the fine apparel wool (<19.5 um).
 
IWP SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT
This Social Media Toolkit has been created to assist our partners and help produce the largest online conversation that puts both you and your brand at its centre.
We appreciate your contribution to IWP and look forward to your participation in our conversation.

JOIN OUR COMMUNITIES
Facebook
www.facebook.com/thewoolmarkcompany @woolmark #WoolmarkPrize
Youtube
youtube.com/TheWoolmarkCompany
Mention Woolmark and International Woolmark Prize in title, description and meta tags
Twitter
twitter.com/woolmark @woolmark #WoolmarkPrize
Instagram
@thewoolmarkcompany #WoolmarkPrize
WEBSITE
www.woolmarkprize.com