BODE AMONG 2020 INTERNATIONAL WOOLMARK PRIZE FINALISTS

American menswear brand Bode has been named as one of the 10 finalists for the 2020 International Woolmark Prize.

Other nominees include A-Cold-Wall* from the United Kingdom, Feng Chen Wang from the United Kingdom and China, Blindness from Korea, Botter from The Netherlands, GmbH from Germany, Ludovic de Saint Sernin from France, Matthew Adams Dolan from the U.S., Namacheko from Sweden, and Richard Malone from Ireland and the United Kingdom.

These 10 designers are now on the path towards the International Woolmark Prize final in February, with support from The Woolmark Company’s Innovation Academy – a fast-track mentoring and education program helping brands implement best practices to address environmental and social issues along with sustainable business growth.

The Innovation Academy will integrate two traceability partners in Provenance (a blockchain-enabled platform to outline the origin, journey, and impact of pieces) and Common Objective, a business network to help connect designers with resources and the tools to build a sustainability roadmap and policies for their business.

Under this season’s theme of traceability, the 10 finalists will each produce six fully traceable Merino wool looks, with the key focus on innovation in sustainability and supply chain integrity.

One overall winner will receive AU$200,000 (approx. $US135,000) and one designer will receive AU$100,000 (approx. $US65,000) for demonstrating outstanding innovation in product or manufacturing. Finalist collections will be available for commercialization in September 2020 via the International Woolmark Prize retail network which includes Mytheresa.com, Matchesfashion.com, Takashimaya, Lane Crawford and David Jones.

“The International Woolmark Prize is the world’s leading talent development program and as industry priorities evolve, so do the expectations of the prize,” said Stuart McCullough, managing director of The Woolmark Company. “We see traceability and supply chain integrity as a way to empower brands and customers to make better choices. By ensuring these emerging designers are equipped with the knowledge, support, and access to the most advanced supply chain partners, the International Woolmark Prize continues to push the agenda for best practice.”