Korean wins Woolmark Prize’s Asia contest
The International Woolmark Prize (IWP), dedicated to finding and nurturing new talent in the fashion industry, expanded into Asia in 2013. Contestants are required to develop new designs and new materials using merino wool, with all the costs covered by the Woolmark Company. The IWP is known to have provided a foundation of growth for the world’s most renowned designers, uncluding Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director at Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent, who both won the prize in 1954. Han Hyun-min, designer of MUNN, won the Asian menswear final the previous year.
This year’s task was to design a merino wool capsule collection of six pieces of clothing that highlight the beauty and convenience of merino wool fiber. A “capsule collection” is a term coined by Susie Faux in the 1970s to refer to a minimal set of clothes of the most essential pieces that do not go out of fashion and can be used throughout all seasons, such as skirts, trousers and jackets.
“Kye’s winning merino wool collection broke free from the conventional usage of wool, which lacked the connection with the younger generation, and managed to bring about a dynamic and casual interpretation of the fabric,” said Jeong Hwa-kyung, a member of the judging panel. Six Lee scored high on his contemporary design for men’s suits, using blue-and-white checked patterns, influenced by the traditional clothing of Kenya.
Korean runners-up for this year’s competition were Kye Han-hee of KYE in womenswear and the duo of BMUET(TE) Seo Byung-mun and Um Ji-na for menswear. Designers from other Asian countries included: Peggy Hartanto (Indonesia), Pronounce (Greater China), Roggykei (Japan), Shushu/Tong (China), Staffonly (China) and Yuima Nakazato (Japan).
BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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