MILAN — Donatella Versace might need stepped off the runway to embrace a brand new function as Versace’s chief model ambassador however her sight remains to be agency on garments. Solely this time she is named to evaluate these of rising manufacturers, as she has been named chair of judges of the 2025 Worldwide Woolmark Prize.
The jury, which was revealed on Thursday, is made up of 10 different personalities from the trade tasked with deciding the winner of the competition launched by the worldwide wool authority, which will probably be named in a ceremony in Milan on April 2.
The panel of judges will embody Zegna’s creative director Alessandro Sartori; Off-White’s artwork and picture director Ib Kamara, who can be the competition’s visitor creative director this yr; Alessandro Dell’Acqua, founder and artistic director of No. 21; picture architect Regulation Roach; movie star stylist and model advisor Danielle Goldberg; Roopal Patel, senior vice chairman, trend director of Saks Fifth Avenue; Sinéad Burke, educator, advocate and founding father of Tilting the Lens; DJ, producer and artist Honey Dijon; trend author Tim Blanks and Simone Marchetti, who’s Self-importance Honest’s European editorial director and Self-importance Honest Italia’s editor in chief.
“Supporting the following technology of trend expertise has by no means been extra vital. I’m so excited to host the Woolmark Prize in our house metropolis of Milan and to fulfill the designers chosen. I’m certain they may all be winners in their very own manner,” stated Versace, praising Woolmark for “all the time been such unbelievable supporters of the way forward for trend.”
The panel of judges of the 2025 the Worldwide Woolmark Prize jury.
Courtesy of Worldwide Woolmark Prize
As reported, the eight finalists competing for the award are Dutch designer Duran Lantink; Raul Lopez of New York label Luar; Rachel Scott of Diotima; Michael Stewart of London-based Standing Floor; Louis Gabriel Nouchi from Paris; Luca Lin of Act No.1; Ester Manas and Balthazar Delepierre of Ester Manas, and Meryll Rogge, former head of design for womenswear at Dries Van Noten.
The winner will take house a money prize of 300,000 Australian {dollars}, or round $195,000, 50 p.c greater than in earlier years.
Two trade awards can even be offered on the ultimate occasion. The Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation will probably be given to a model or particular person throughout the trend trade that has pushed the boundaries of merino wool innovation, whereas the Provide Chain Award will acknowledge a member of the provision chain who has demonstrated management and innovation in sustainable practices.
Furthermore, all of the finalists may have the chance to be stocked at main international retailers through the Worldwide Woolmark Prize Retailer Community.
For the competition, every finalist obtained 60,000 Australian {dollars} to create a six-look merino wool capsule both as a part of their fall 2025 assortment, or in a stand-alone format.
Woolmark stated the designs needed to spotlight merino wool’s versatility, revolutionary nature and have eco-credentials. At the very least one look needed to be offered completely as a part of the Worldwide Woolmark Prize.
Throughout the improvement of the collections the eight finalists had entry to trade mentors together with stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson and trend editor Sara Sozzani Maino, along with Burke and Patel.
The upcoming ultimate occasion will mark the primary version of the Worldwide Woolmark Prize in its new biannual format. The style competitors had been held yearly since its relaunch in 2012 however final yr it has been prolonged to a two-year program with an enhanced concentrate on sustainability and innovation.
On the identical time, the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation was open to any model throughout the trend trade for the primary time, whereas beforehand it solely went to rising trend labels.
Lagos Area Programme, a Nigeria-based label that seeks to problem the picture of African trend with designs rooted in Yoruba custom and queer id, was named the winner of the 2023 Worldwide Woolmark Prize in Might 2023. The Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation went to Danish knitwear model A. Roege Hove.
Earlier winners of the Worldwide Woolmark Prize embody Saul Nash, Matty Bovan, Richard Malone, Bode, Rahul Mishra, Edward Crutchley and Matthew Miller, in addition to the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino Garavani.
