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These Are The 2020 Woolmark Prize Finalists

The top 10 emerging designers who use Merino wool

The annual Woolmark Prize is a celebration of emerging global talent in the fashion industry whose designs feature Merino wool. This year, the theme is Traceability. Finalists have been asked to present fully traceable collections, adding transparency to the supply chain.

“We see traceability and supply chain integrity as a way to empower brands and customers to make better choices,” says The Woolmark Company managing director Stuart McCullough. “By ensuring these emerging designers are equipped with the knowledge, support and access to the most advanced supply chain partners, the International Woolmark Prize continues to push the agenda for best practice.”

Consumers are increasingly worried about the environmental impact of their purchases. When it comes to their clothing, they want reassurance they’re taking part in alleviating the world’s problems, not adding to them,” says Woolmark of the theme’s inspiration. 

“Being a completely natural, renewable and biodegradable fibre, wool certainly addresses many concerns, and in a further step forward, this year’s International Woolmark Prize finalists have committed to creating six fully traceable Merino wool looks as part of the program’s global final event in February 2020.”

The top 10 finalists must now work with two traceability partners, Provenance and Common Objective, to produce their final Merino wool looks.

Provenance is a software that helps brands and retailers build customer trust through transparency using blockchain technology. 

Common Objective is a global information and sourcing network that aligns brands with the tools and resources they need to become more sustainable.

From the 300+ applicants, across 47 countries, these are the 2020 top 10 finalists:

A-COLD-WALL*, United Kingdom
BLINDNESS, Korea
BODE, USA,
BOTTER, The Netherlands
Feng Chen Wang, China & United Kingdom
GmbH, Germany
Ludovic de Saint Sernin, France
Matthew Adams Dolan, USA
Namacheko, Sweden
Richard Malone, Ireland/UK

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