Media Releases
4 July 2008
Shanghai fashion designer, Qiu Hao wins prestigious Woolmark Prize Award in Paris
MME Sonia Rykiel, Patron of The Woolmark Prize, today announced Qiu Hao from China will now join design greats Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Romeo Gigli, Dolce & Gabbana and Giorgio Armani in the Woolmark hall of fame, as the 2008 winner of the inaugural Woolmark Prize.
The original wool awards were held between 1954–1992 by the International Wool Secretariat (IWS). The Woolmark Prize takes up where IWS left off, upholding the original foundations on which the award was built: excellence, innovation and distinction. The aim of today’s prize is to underscore the importance of Merino wool to the fashion world by recognising, rewarding and showcasing emerging talents and cutting-edge creativity that emphasises the sensual, sculptural aspects of knit.
Before attending Central Saint Martins College, London, 30 year old Shanghai designer Qiu Hao graduated in interior design at Suzhou University. Since his 2006 debut, Qiu Hao has consistently supplied razor sharp tailoring and smooth deconstruction in a largely monochromatic colour palette. Each collection is balanced by a measure of softness; a curve, a texture, a physical motion that eschews the obvious.
“It is with great pleasure that Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) once again bring the honour and prestige of such an international prize to assist emerging talent so that they may occupy a solid place in the global apparel industry,” said Mr Craig Welsh, CEO. Australian Wool Innovation. “We see the Woolmark Prize as an opportunity to support the future of design and at the same time, showcase to the world Australian Merino wool at its best and most innovative,” said Mr Welsh.
As the winner of the 2008 prize Qiu Hao will receive industry support to the value of €100,000 ($163,000) which is invaluable to an emerging designer. AWI will provide aid and expertise in sourcing material, production, presentation and promotion of a collection. High end Paris boutique, Colette, has agreed to carry exclusive stock of a limited edition garment.
U.S. Vogue Fashion News Feature Director Sally Singer, global fashion expert and 2008 awards judge, said “It’s a wonderful time to relaunch The Woolmark Prize; the list of finalists were exceptional and reflects the innovation and rigor that a new generation of designers is investing in their work. Artisanal work in fashion is always going to be synonymous with knitwear and it’s the time to buy luxurious things that are made and designed with care.”
The Woolmark Prize represents the first of many AWI initiatives focused on enhancing the presence and value of the Woolmark portfolio. Over the next three years AWI will invest over €75.000,000 in relaunching and repositioning the Woolmark brand and establishing Australian Merino wool as one of the most exciting fibres available today, unique for its natural, biodegradable and sustainable qualities.
Entries for 2009 Woolmark Prize will open in October 2008. For more information visit: http://www.woolmark.com/prize.
Released by: Karyn Westren-Gross, AWI Fashion Communications Ph: +612 8295 3166
26 May 2008
Merino wool & contemporary creation
Sonia Rykiel has been announced as the official patron of the Australian Merino Woolmark Prize launching in Paris, July 2008.
Hailed by the American press as the “Queen of Knits”, French designer Sonia Rykiel launched her label in the early 60s. She was the first designer to put seams on the outside of garments, and to print words onto sweaters.
In 1980 she was voted one of the world's 10 most elegant women and in 1985 she was awarded Legion d’Honneur by the French government.
Upon accepting the position, Ms Rykiel announced, “I learnt everything from knitwear. I think that wool has earned the Prize that has been established in its name. I am proud to be the patron of the Woolmark Prize.”
Rykiel will be joined by a panel of global fashion experts who have been selected to award the winner of the Woolmark Prize, who will convene early July to begin the selection process. The jury consists of:
- Sally Singer (Fashion News Director, Vogue USA)
- Véronique Philipponat (Editor-in-Chief, Elle France)
- Olivier Saillard (Curator, Musée des Arts Décoratifs)
- Gabriele Hackworthy (Fashion Director, Vogue Chine)
- Sarah Lerfel (Boutique Colette, Paris)
- Vanessa Friedman (Fashion Writer, Financial Times, London)
- Sarah Mower (Journalist, style.com)
- Valerie Steele, (Curator, Fashion Institute of Technology, New York)
- Terry Jones (Creative Director, i-D magazine)
The Woolmark Prize has been created to provide support to young fashion designers. Awarding creativity in Merino wool, it is aimed at designers with more than two seasons of professional experience. The Prize will be awarded at the opening of an exhibition presenting not just the work of the 10 finalists, produced by Woolmark, but also an overview of 45 years of Woolmark in images.
The winner will receive aid in sourcing material, production, presentation and promotion of a collection. High end Paris boutique, Colette, will carry exclusive stock of a limited edition garment to be designed by the winner of the Woolmark prize and produced in collaboration with Woolmark.
The 10 Finalists are:
RUBECKSEN YAMANAKA (HILDE RUBECKSEN & TOMOKO YAMANAKA)
Nationality: Norwegian (Hilde Rubecksen) & Japanese (Tomoko Yamanaka)
EVERLASTING SPROUT (KEIICHI MURAMATSU & NORIKO SEKI)
Nationality: Japanese
COOPERATIVE DESIGNERS (ANNALISE DUNN & DOROTHEE HAGEMANN)
Nationality: English
LOUISE GOLDIN
Nationality: English
TOM SCOTT
Nationality: American
XAVIER BRISOUX
Nationality: French
SHAO JIA
Nationality: Chinese
QIU HAO
Nationality: Chinese
CHRYSTL FISCHER
Nationality: Belgian
MARIELLE VAN DE VEN
Nationality: Dutch
For more information go to www.woolmark.com/prize. Download as PDF.
Ends
Released by: Melissa Grace – AWI Fashion Communications Ph: +612 8295 3100
1 April 2008
WOOL, C’EST COOL!
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) Chief Executive Craig Welsh announced the launch of ‘The Australian Merino Woolmark Prize’, awarding fashion creativity. This is a major step forward for the global wool industry in recognising emerging international talent from across the world.
The international prize has been conceived to assist emerging, leading talent to occupy a solid place in the global apparel industry.
In 1954, two young, unknown women’s wear designers, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent, stepped up onto a stage to accept their respective fashion design prizes, awarded by the International Wool Secretariat. Lagerfeld, then 21, was winner of the coat category. Saint Laurent, at a mere 19 years old, won the award for dress design.
Mr Welsh explained, “Identifying and investing in the next generation is critical to the success of any industry. We see this as an opportunity to support the future of design and at the same time, showcase to the world Australian Merino wool at its best and most innovative.”
“It is also a way to assist future designers and consumers to understand the great benefits of Australian Merino wool being natural, biodegradable and sustainable, which makes it one of the most exciting natural fibres available today.”
Open to young designers who have recently graduated and are already professionally active, the prize was conceived to help nurture those most in need: the fashion designer on the cusp of commercial credibility.
For the inaugural Woolmark Prize 2008, designers from cultures as diverse as China, Japan, Norway, England, Belgium, Germany and France – have been selected by an international panel of fashion experts to participate. Each designer has formulated a capsule collection, emphasizing the sensual, sculptural aspects of knitted yarn.
A panel of fashion experts will assess the entries and adjudicate the Prize, to be presented at the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, on July 3 2008.
The winner of the Woolmark Prize 2008 will receive significant in kind support from AWI and Woolmark through industry support and mentoring.
The Woolmark Prize will be awarded annually and aims to be one of the most sought after prizes for up and coming global designers.
Finalists for the 2008 Woolmark Prize are;
Louise Goldin
Britain
RubecksenYamanaka (Hilde Rubecksen/Tomoko Yamanaka)
Norway/Japan
Shao Jia
China
Tom Scott
USA
Everlasting Sprout (Keiichi Muramatsu/Noriko Seki)
Japan
Chrystl Fischer
Belgium
Qiu Hao
China
Cooperativedesigns (Annalisa Dunn/Dorothee Hagemann)
Britain/Germany
Marielle Van de Ven
Holland
Xavier Brisoux
France
Ends
Released by: Australian Wool Innovation. Contact prize@wool.com