2025 International Woolmark Prize shines fashion’s spotlight on wool

This illustrious fashion award and talent development program generates long-term demand for Australian Merino wool by building and strengthening the reputation of the fibre as the ultimate ingredient of sustainable luxury fashion.

Since its inception in the 1950s, the International Woolmark Prize has been awarded to young fashion designers that have gone on to become some of the most era-defining creatives of their generation: from Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent to Giorgio Armani and Ralph Lauren.

Relaunched in 2012 by Woolmark, the International Woolmark Prize is an award for the world’s most promising design talent. The program is now held every two years and the judging criteria has an increased focus on sustainability and innovation.

The International Woolmark Prize program is a lot more than a fashion design award. The program provides the international designers with education, mentorship, networking opportunities, early-stage funding, global wool supply chain access and commercialisation of their collections.

“Importantly, the International Woolmark Prize generates long-term demand for Australian Merino wool by increasing the knowledge of and lifetime loyalty to the fibre amongst the award’s designers and alumni across the world,” said AWI CEO John Roberts.

“Furthermore, the phenomenal interest in these awards from fashion communities and media globally has helped put wool back on the agendas of a broader range of fashion designers, manufacturers, brands and retailers, and consequently into retail stores for consumers to purchase.”

Connecting the world’s leading fashion designers with Australian Merino wool is extremely important due to the enormous influence these designers have in setting global textile trends for mainstream retail brands.

AWI’s Measurement & Evaluation unit has conducted an assessment of the International Woolmark Prize program’s impact during the ten years following the program’s reintroduction in 2012. The assessment estimated that for every $1 invested by AWI over the ten years, there has been an average $2.41 return on investment for woolgrowers.

As well as the main International Woolmark Prize awarded to the best emerging designer, there are two other awards:

• The Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation which has from this year been expanded to be an industry award and is presented to a brand or individual within the fashion industry who has pushed the boundaries of Merino wool innovation.
• The Supply Chain Award is presented to an outstanding member of the supply chain who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in advancing sustainable practices.

The 2025 program for emerging designers

Selected from hundreds of applicants, eight of the world’s most promising design talents secured their place as finalists in the 2025 International Woolmark Prize: ACT N°1 (Italy), Diotima (USA), Duran Lantink (The Netherlands), Ester Manas (Belgium), LGN LOUIS GABRIEL NOUCHI (France), LUAR (USA), Meryll Rogge (Belgium), and Standing Ground (UK/Ireland) – pictured in the top image.

All eight finalists were then supported by Woolmark’s Innovation Academy, a mentoring and education program that offers access to International Woolmark Prize partners, manufacturers and mentors across the supply chain.

The finalists each developed six Merino wool looks, either as part of their Autumn/Winter 2025 collection or as a stand-alone collection, that highlighted the innate versatility, innovative nature and eco-credentials of Merino wool.

The winner was selected by an expert panel of judges comprising distinguished industry heavyweights and chaired by Donatella Versace, the Chief Brand Ambassador of Versace, one of the world’s leading and most recognised luxury fashion brands.

The winner was announced in April at a special event in Milan at which the finalists showcased their collections to 200 industry stakeholders in a showroom format. With a combined total of more than 92 million followers, this year’s event talent (including judges and ambassadors) amplified their involvement in the prize to a large and engaged audience.

All the finalists will now continue their International Woolmark Prize journey, joining a prestigious alumni of more than 600, and have the opportunity to be stocked in some of the world’s leading stores via the International Woolmark Prize Retailer Network.

The program boasts a global network of more than 50 international supply chain and retail partners including Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Browns, Lane Crawford, MODES, McMullen, Boon The Shop, MyTheresa, Net-A-Porter, MR PORTER, and Selfridges.

2025 International Woolmark Prize winner: Duran Lantink

Designer Duran Lantink with a model wearing one of his winning designs.

Fashion designer Duran Lantink, who is based between Amsterdam and Paris, won the 2025 International Woolmark Prize.

He impressed the judges with his ability to use Merino wool to reinterpret traditional knitting techniques in a truly modern way. The designer incorporated 3D reconstructed knitwear while including historical Dutch knitting techniques and the use of recycled army sweaters, combining with innovative woven check patterns, merging sustainability with craftsmanship.

“I feel very honoured to receive this award and I’m just so happy because we worked so hard with so many collaborators and it’s just really great to get this recognition,” Duran said.

Chair of the judges Donatella Versace said, “We are in a moment when we need to feel better. Duran makes us feel that. His collection is a wonderful combination of respect for the fibre and a joyful sense of the future.”

Two weeks after his win, Duran was appointed as the new permanent creative director of the renowned Jean Paul Gaultier fashion house, which is a reflection of Duran’s enormous design talent.

2025 Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation winner: Pieter Mulier

A garment from Alaïa’s Summer Fall 2024 One Yarn collection.

Pieter Mulier, the Creative Director of French luxury womenswear brand Alaïa, is the inaugural winner of the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation in this new format, selected for his innovative and continued use of Merino wool.

His commitment to innovation and craftsmanship was exemplified with Alaïa’s Summer Fall 2024 One Yarn collection. The entire collection was crafted using a single Merino wool yarn, developed across the space of a year in close collaboration with Alaïa’s long-standing textile and knitwear suppliers.

Mulier challenged the Alaïa team to continuously reimagine the yarn, transforming it not only into classic tailoring fabrics and knits but also into unexpected textures – fluffed up Merino wool fur, densely packed chenille, woven into delicate organza, and blended with nylon for outerwear.

"I am so honoured and happy to receive the inaugural Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation,” Mulier said. “At Alaïa, wool plays an important role in the search for innovation and modernity. In my Summer Fall 2024 collection, one single yarn was used as a full concept, pushing how the richness of wool can be translated in all shapes, sizes, textures and forms."

2025 Supply Chain Award winner: Südwolle Group

Südwolle Group’s Chief Sales Officer Stéphane Thouvay receiving the award from AWI CEO John Roberts at the ceremony in Milan.

Germany-based worsted yarn spinner Südwolle Group won the 2025 Supply Chain Award for its continual commitment and dedication to innovation and product development, meeting customer needs and supporting the wool industry. In particular, Südwolle Group’s innovation in both fashion-forward luxury and high performance wool yarns plus sustainability commitments make it a world leader in the textiles industry.

"As ambassadors for wool we actively promote this fantastic fibre – through our global yarn production network, and our strong partnerships with manufacturers, brands and designers across diverse industries," said Südwolle Group Chief Sales Officer, Stéphane Thouvay. “We keep investing and exploring new techniques and possibilities, with the development of new technologies, or the creation of new blends with other fibres, to enhance wool’s properties."

The Südwebs Innovation Hub is the creative voice of Südwolle Group, inspiring designers, brands, and manufacturers in a business-to-business environment by exploring what wool can achieve. From sparking fresh ideas to refining concepts for the market, the Hub is a catalyst for progress and collaboration.

More information: www.woolmarkprize.com

This article appeared in the Winter 2025 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in June 2025. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.