LONDON — New York-based label Public School won the inaugural Men’s International Woolmark Prize held during London Collections: Men on Friday. Designers Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow beat 61 other labels from 21 countries, and will receive a cash prize of 100,000 Australian dollars, or $81,000 at current exchange.
Their collection will be stocked at retailers including Harvey Nichols, Saks Fifth Avenue, 10 Corso Como, Joyce, Isetan, David Jones and matchesfashion.com.
Woolmark chief executive officer Stuart McCullough said judges arrived at their final decision after “vigorous discussion and an arm wrestle.” Finalists included SISE from Japan; Asger Juel Larsen from Denmark; Australia’s Strateas.Carlucci, and The Emperor 1688 from United Arab Emirates.
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The winners said making their capsule collection for the competition was a “massive learning curve” and a departure from their usual work with tailoring, shirting and jersey knits.
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“We didn’t know that [wool] can do so much,” said Osborne. “There were so many things we learned about wool doing this competition. We didn’t know about the breathability; it can protect you from sun rays; it can easily be washed; it doesn’t really smell — ever.”
Their concept stemmed from the realization that wool is the oldest fiber humans have ever used. “So that sort of took us to a place where we were like, ‘What were people really doing with wool back then?’” said Chow.
With little previous experience, the design duo said they were free to explore fresh ways of using wool. “We were able to develop a fabric, boil it and treat a knit almost like a woven. So we could cut it, we could drape it, we could pleat it, do all the things that you would normally do on a woven piece,” said Osborne.
“Many of the items were fully fashioned and fit the body remarkably well,” said Sir Paul Smith, one of the prize’s judges.
“They didn’t use any zips or buttons because the collection was based on life in the future where you are in the middle of nowhere and the only thing you’ve got is wool. And so it was very much about, OK, we can weave it, we can knit it, but we’re not going to suddenly find a zip or button manufacturer in the middle of nowhere.”
Smith added that the collection was wearable — and salable. “When you actually dissect the outfits, when you just take the jacket or the sweater as an individual item, then there were some really good ideas there,” he said.
The winning collection came in shades of black and gray and featured boiled and blistered wool, seamless and jacquard knits and close-fitting sweaters with skull-hugging hoods.
One gray, boiled wool T-shirt had a drawstring funnel neck and was worn with matching basketball shorts, while a black hooded top had jacquard panels and was teamed with drop-crotch sweatpants. The five women’s wear finalists will be judged in Beijing in March.
“We didn’t know that [wool] can do so much,” said Osborne. “There were so many things we learned about wool doing this competition. We didn’t know about the breathability; it can protect you from sun rays; it can easily be washed; it doesn’t really smell — ever.”
Their concept stemmed from the realization that wool is the oldest fiber humans have ever used. “So that sort of took us to a place where we were like, ‘What were people really doing with wool back then?’” said Chow.
With little previous experience, the design duo said they were free to explore fresh ways of using wool. “We were able to develop a fabric, boil it and treat a knit almost like a woven. So we could cut it, we could drape it, we could pleat it, do all the things that you would normally do on a woven piece,” said Osborne.
“Many of the items were fully fashioned and fit the body remarkably well,” said Sir Paul Smith, one of the prize’s judges.
“They didn’t use any zips or buttons because the collection was based on life in the future where you are in the middle of nowhere and the only thing you’ve got is wool. And so it was very much about, ‘OK, we can weave it, we can knit it, but we’re not going to suddenly find a zip or button manufacturer in the middle of nowhere.”
Smith added that the collection was wearable — and salable. “When you actually dissect the outfits, when you just take the jacket or the sweater as an individual item, then there were some really good ideas there,” he said.
The winning collection came in shades of black and gray and featured boiled and blistered wool, seamless and jacquard knits, and close-fitting sweaters with skull-hugging hoods.
One gray, boiled wool T-shirt had a drawstring funnel neck and was worn with matching basketball shorts, while a black hooded top had jacquard panels and was teamed with drop-crotch sweatpants. The five women’s wear finalists will be judged in Beijing in March.