After a month of deliberations, the prestigious jury of the 2022 International Woolmark Prize has declared 29-year-old Saul Nash as the winner.
The British-Guyanan clearly impressed the likes of Naomi Campbell, Riccardo Tisci, and Carine Roitfeld, walking away with the top prize of $200,000 AUD along with a coveted mentorship and ongoing support from leading industry players.
“Words cannot describe what this means to me. In such a short space of time I am so grateful for what I have gained in the past eight months. This really is the cherry on top for everything Woolmark has done for me,” said Nash in a press release.
So, what made Nash stand above the other seven finalists, including Australia’s very own Jordan Dalah?
“Everyone did a great job and could have been a winner, but what Saul did, coming from a ballet background to replace lycra with wool was really incredible,” explained Burberry’s Creative Director Riccardo Tisci.
Representatives of The Woolmark Company also noted in a press release that Nash was “praised for his modern use of Merino wool, bridging a gap between active solutions and more formal requirements”.
As part of Nash’s collection, he developed new and innovative materials including a compression wool hybrid jersey/airtex mesh knit and double-faced jersey with integrated mesh holes.
But Nash wasn’t the only person to take home an award during the London-held official ceremony.
South African duo Maxwell Boko and Mmuso Potsane, co-designers of ethical womenswear label MMUSOMAXWELL, were awarded the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation and $100,000 AUD to boot.
“They have a dream and what they are doing is not just for South Africa, but for a modern, western woman. I think Karl would have loved to have spoken with them today and am sure he would be very happy to give this award to them,” Carine Roitford said.
The label’s seven-piece collection was centred on upskilling South African manufactures and traditional craftsmen alongside attention to a slow production model.
However it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the remaining finalists.
Each nominee will now join an alumni network of over 400 designers and be presented with commercial opportunities via Woolmark’s retail partner network.
We can’t wait to see these designs hit shelves soon. The timing couldn’t be more coincidental, we’re in the market for new winter knitwear after all.
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