New designers exploring creative possibilities with Merino

04 Sep '12

3 min read

Merino wool provides textile designers with natural yarns and fabrics which are versatile, luxurious and strong, whether used in interiors or in apparel. Through the sponsorship of the second Woolmark Texprint Award in support of Campaign for Wool, The Woolmark Company encourages new designers to explore the design possibilities and benefits of Merino wool.

The award recognises design excellence in fabrics created with 60% or more Merino wool, whether presented as printed, woven, knitted and/or mixed media fabric. It will be judged from among Texprint’s selected 24 designers who will be presenting their work in the Texprint Village at design event Indigo, Paris, on September 20, 2012. Texprint is the not-for-profit organisation that each year selects, mentors and launches the best UK-trained graduate textile designers into industry.

Harriet Toogood (pictured here centre right with The Woolmark Company’s Peter Ackroyd, Rebecca Sharp and Rob Langtry) won the inaugural prize, creating fabrics that defied convention, mixing materials – wool included – making something very unusual but also practical. Harriet, a graduate of the University of Brighton, has since joined upholstery maker Camira Fabrics as a designer.

Peter Ackroyd, The Woolmark Company and president of IWTO, says: “The Woolmark Company is delighted to continue its support of Texprint with the Woolmark Texprint Award. Texprint provides an utterly unique opportunity for graduating students to move into industry. This fits perfectly with Woolmark's strategy of involving emerging talent in the story of wool from the beginning.”

Texprint’s chairman Barbara Kennington agrees: “Texprint showcases innovative work by graduate designers who appreciate wool’s heritage while exploring its creative possibilities. By encouraging designers to use wool, The Woolmark Company and Texprint are together fostering a contemporary appreciation of this highly versatile fibre.”

Texprint and The Woolmark Company are delighted to have two specialists who will use their expertise in producing fine wool fabrics, responding to the demands of the ever-evolving market, to guide their choice of this year’s winner.

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