Duran Lantnik wins The International Woolmark Prize

It was the name on the lips of all those present, while chatting waiting for the award ceremony on stage. So, when Donatella Versacepresident of the jury for The International Woolmark Prizesaid winner Duran Landinkmany of the public have nod (in the jury also voted for Simone Marchetti, director of Vanity Fair). Landink’s playful creations, often made through Upcyclingthey gained its brand an international recognition, a wave of editorial covers and a ranks of famous admirers, such as Dua Lipa and Lily Rose Depp (her last parade in Paris certainly attracted attention).

It is not the first prize that this Dutch designer receives, not to mention that museums such as the Met Costume Institute and the Victoria & Albert Museum have acquired its pieces for their permanent collections. This time, however, at the award ceremony held in Milan, the prize wanted it share with 15 womenthat is, the craftsmen who handled the pieces of knitwear of the Mini Wool Wool Collection by hand which earned him the prize. “I am really honored, I am not a knitwear expert and it was essential for me to confront these great women of great talent,” said the designer Duran Landink“I am a truly impatient person: thanks to this collection I understood the wealth of handmade knitwear and also that takes a certain time for this process without machines, a time to which you have to adapt”. With the money of the prize (300 thousand Australian dollars) the designer confessed that he would like to find a stable study for the brand’s team and that he would still like to work with the community of women shirts who contributed to the collection.

Durant Landink with The International Woolmark Prize in his hand and, in the background, a model wears his hand-made Merino wool dress.

Guindani

The International Woolmark Prize It is a prize that brings luck, it is often repeated by the insiders, because in the past they have won it Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani And Woman karan. All the designers, of each edition, have the task of enhancing Merino wool, because this is the spirit with which the prize was created by The Woolmark Company, which since 1963 has combined the Australian Merino wool producers and promotes this fiber and its qualities in the world through different initiatives.

The creations of 8 finalists were presented in Milan, including the Italian Luca Lin di Act n ° 1and then Rachel Scott of Diotima (USA), the Belgian duo Ester ManasFrench Louis-Gabriel NouchiRaul Lopez of Luar (USA), Meryll Rogge Belgium and Michael Stewart de Brand Standing ground (Ireland/Great Britain). Each of them treated Merino wool in a unique and different way, trying to combine innovation and creativity with its own designer identity. All finalists will have the opportunity to be distributed in the most prestigious stores in the world, thanks to the International Woolmark Prize Retailer Network.

Standing ground He presented sculptural garments in bold colors, reinterpreting the traditional construction of wool clothing, enhancing their natural versatility, durability and functionality. While the duo Ester Manas It has preserved its ideal of wanting to dress all the bodies with multi -sized models adaptable, creating extremely feminine garments with wool and tulle in combination and trying to achieve the maximum lightness and transparency of the shirt. Luca Lin of Act n ° 1 He has shown his tailoring skill by working on unexpected cuts starting from classic garments, such as blazer, shirt and trench coat: an impeccable construction of the items with the shaved wool fabric in a natural way (together with Quaregna dyeing). Diotima proposed the Crochet, a typical brand processing, in dynamic and contemporary pieces, up to the experiments of Luar who created a couture jacket suitable for a celebrity that does not want to go unnoticed and garments to do physical activity, exploiting the naturalness of the Merino wool.

During the evening the Supply Chain Award to the supply chain company Südwolle Groupfor its constant commitment in innovation and development of products, responding to customer needs and supporting the wool industry. While Pieter MulierCreative Director of Alaïa, won the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation For its innovative approach and the continuous use of Merino wool, in particular the collection Alaïa Summer Fall 2024 One Yarn It was made entirely using a single Merino wool yarn, developed within a year in close collaboration with the Maison’s fabric and knitwear suppliers.

LG LUUIS Gabriel Nouchi (France) for The International Woolmark Prize.

Diotima (USA) for The International Woolmark Prize.