2023 INTERNATIONAL WOOLMARK PRIZE ANNOUNCES THIS YEAR’S JURY

by John Russel Jones May 04, 2023

The International Woolmark Prize once again brings together a panel of industry tastemakers and experts, with a shared vision of forward-thinking, innovative, and inclusive fashion, to form the prestigious jury at this year’s final event in Paris.

The 2023 International Woolmark Prize just includes:

  • Alessandro Sartori, Artistic Director, Zegna
  • Carine Roitfeld, Founder CR Studio, CR Fashion Book and Carine Roitfeld Parfums
  • Caroline de Maigret, Model, Music Producer and Writer
  • Elizabeth von der Goltz, CEO, Browns and Chief Fashion and Merchandising Officer, FARFETCH
  • Francesco Risso, Creative Director, Marni
  • John Roberts, Managing Director, The Woolmark Company
  • Pieter Mulier, Creative Director, Alaïa
  • Salehe Bembury, Designer
  • Shaway Yeh, Founder of yehyehyeh and International Creative Director at Meta Media
  • Holdings Limited
  • Sinéad Burke, Educator, Advocate and Founder of Tilting the Lens
  • Tim Blanks, Editor-at-Large, Business of Fashion
  • Tyler Mitchell, Artist, Photographer and Filmmaker

“The International Woolmark Prize has always been a forerunner in fashion by discovering young new talents and encouraging creativity and ingenuity,” says Alaïa Creative Director Pieter Mulier. “At a time where new generations raise new challenges for the industry, it’s also an essential process to develop and defend endless innovations to find the plural answers. I’m thrilled to be part of this unique experience which, year after year, embodies the future of fashion.”

“We are at a critical moment of humanity that it’s our intense responsibility to regenerate natural resources and uphold human creativity; that’s what this Prize is about,” says Shaway Yeh.

“Passion and curiosity are catalysts of all great designers,” says designer Salehe Bembury. “Being a judge for the Woolmark Prize is an honour because every designer is coming from a place of extreme passion, and more importantly holds a point of view. It is this individual perspective that allows for exploration and evolution.”

The International Woolmark Prize encourages designers to think beyond today, embrace wool as a naturally innovative and sustainable fiber and showcase its basis for new technologies and development to meet the discerning needs of tomorrow’s customer.

One finalist will be awarded the International Woolmark Prize by a prestigious panel of industry experts and receive AU$200,000 (Just over US$130,000) to invest in the development of their business. The Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation will be awarded to another finalist, with the winner receiving AU$100,000 (over US$65,000). The Woolmark Supply Chain Award will also be presented, celebrating outstanding contribution from a trade partner to driving wool supply chain innovation.

All finalists will have the opportunity to be stocked in some of the world’s leading stores, via the International Woolmark Prize Retailer Network.