Judges revealed for the International Woolmark Prize for Menswear

Woolmark has revealed the judging panel for its prestigious International Woolmark Prize, the final of which will be judged at the Pitti Uomo menswear fair in Florence, Italy on 13 January 2016.

The final will feature a runway presentation of the six finalists’ capsule collections in Merino wool. British design duo Agi & Sam are in the running, along with Munsoo Kwon (Asia), P. Johnson (Australia), Jonathan Christopher (Europe), Suketdhir (India, Pakistan & Middle East) and Siki Im (USA).

On the judging panel are:

Franca Sozzani, Editor-in-Chief, Vogue and L’Uomo Vogue

Haider Ackermann, Designer

Imran Amed, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Business of Fashion

Suzy Menkes, International Editor, Vogue

Nick Sullivan, Fashion Director, Esquire

Masafumi Suzuki, Editor-in-Chief, GQ Japan

Linda Loppa, Director of Strategy and Vision, Polimoda

Raffaello Napoleone, Chief Executive, Pitti Uomo

Stuart McCullough, Managing Director, The Woolmark Company

In addition, representatives from the International Woolmark Prize’s retail partners will also serve on the judging panel, including MatchesFashion.com style director, Simon Chilvers and David Jones’s general manager of menswear, Deborah Foreman.

“Although menswear has always been a secure and traditional market for wool,” explained Stuart McCullough, Managing Director of the Woolmark Company, “the entrants in the International Woolmark Prize menswear award continue to surprise and inspire with their creative approach to wool in menswear, highlighting the fibre’s adaptability and suitability for modern interpretation.”

Chosen from more than 70 nominees, the menswear finalists for the 2016 prize represent the regions of Asia; Australia; the British Isles; Europe; India, Pakistan and the Middle East; and the United States of America.

The winner of the International Woolmark Prize will receive AU$100,000 to help support the development of their business and ongoing industry mentor support, as well as the presentation and sale of their capsule collection in some of the world’s most prestigious department stores and boutiques. These include MatchesFashion.com (online), Isetan Mitsukoshi (Japan), David Jones (Australia), and 10 Corso Como (Milan).