Three Indian designers have been nominated for the upcoming International Woolmark Prize (IWP) 2015/2016’s India and Middle East region round, which will be held in Dubai on July 22, 2015.
Womenswear designers Nachiket Barve and Gaurav Jai Gupta (Akaaro) and menswear talent Suket Dhir will compete with fashion specialists from Pakistan, Lebanon and UAE.Three Indian designers have been nominated for the upcoming International Woolmark Prize (IWP) 2015/2016's India and Middle East region round, which #
Each of the nominees will present six sketches of a Merino wool-inspired capsule collection, including one fully produced outfit, before a panel of jury comprising local and international experts.
In addition to the Indian nominees, the region-specific list’s women’s line-up includes Pakistani names like Sania Maskatiya and Misha Lakhani, Lebanese labels Bashar Assaf and Mira Hayek, as well as UAE’s Taller Marmo and Bleach. The menswear segment features Republic from Pakistan and Thamanyah from UAE.
This year a sixth region has been added to the international competition, The British Isles, with the regional award to be held in London. “The addition of a sixth region was in response to demand coming from the industry. It is yet another example of the huge impact this prize has had in the market,” explained The Woolmark Company’s managing director Stuart McCullough while announcing the name of the new region.
The five other regional awards, which will select the ten finalists from both menswear and womenswear categories for the main competition, will take place in Shanghai, Sydney, Antwerp, Dubai and New York.
The selected six menswear designers will partake in an event held during Pitti Uomo, Florence in January, 2016 whereas the six womenswear contestants will meet in New York in February, 2016.
The winners of both the menswear and womenswear finals will receive AUD$100,000 to assist with fabric sourcing and marketing of their collection. Also, both international winners will have their collections commercialised through key international retail partners like Harvey Nichols (UK), Joyce (China), Saks Fifth Avenue (USA), 10 Corso Como (Italy) and David Jones (Australia) as well as online at My Theresa and Matchesfashion.com.
First held in 1953 as an initiative of the International Wool Secretariat, the award aims to promote a fresh crop of fashion stars showcasing the benefits of working with Australian Merino wool. (PB)
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India