UK label Teatum Jones wins 2015/16 International Woolmark Prize

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Feb 16, 2016

London-based design duo Teatum Jones received international acclaim last Friday after being announced as the recipient of the 2015/16 International Woolmark Prize for womenswear.

The British designers Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones presented a capsule collection inspired by a Wool Utopia as conceived by English nun Agnes Morrogh-Bernard in 1892. Their creative journey included a partnership with a specialist guipure lace mill in France and a trip to Italy, where they developed a new stretch wool.

The capsule collection used a mix of 17.5 micron and 19.5 micron Australian Merino wool for the clothes, and 23 micron wool for the accessories. “For our regional entry we really pushed the innovation in our textile development and the use of Merino wool. We had developed many techniques and new ways of using Merino, which impressed the judges,” said the designers.

“For the final capsule collection, we decided to take the strongest of these techniques and concentrate on developing them, refining them and maximising the beauty in their potential.”

Stuart McCullough, Managing Director of The Woolmark Company, said: “Teatum Jones has showcased wool in a unique but very commercial way. We are excited about their take on Australian Merino wool and it feels like something very new.”

More than 70 international designers were considered for the womenswear award, with the judging panel including respected personalities of the fashion industry such as André Leon Talley, fashion author, editor and consultant; Imran Amed, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Business of Fashion; Tim Blanks, Editor-at Large, Business of Fashion; Stefano Tonchi, Editor-in-Chief, W Magazine and Thakoon Panichgul, CEO, Thakoon.

The recipients of the award will be granted AU$100,000 to help support the development of their business. They will also continue to receive mentoring, while their collection for the International Woolmark Prize will go on sale in department stores and boutiques, including MyTheresa.com, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols (UK), Isetan Mitsukoshi (Japan), Boutique 1 (UAE) and Verso (Belgium).