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The menswear final of the 2015/16 International Woolmark Prize will be judged on 13 January 2016 in Florence, Italy, during Pitti Uomo, marked by a special runway presentation of the six finalists’ capsule collections in Merino wool. The finalists – Munsoo Kwon (Asia), P. Johnson (Australia), Agi & Sam (British Isles), Jonathan Christopher (Europe), Suketdhir (India, Pakistan & Middle East) and Siki Im (USA) – will present their work to an esteemed judging panel of international industry figures, including:

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).