Blindness and Feng Chen Wang To Represent Asia In the 2020 International Woolmark Prize Finals
Images sourced from Blindness and Feng Chen Wang
Each year, a handful of designers from across the globe are selected to represent their regions and countries to compete for the prestigious International Woolmark Prize (IWP). The International Woolmark Prize showcases fashion talents from around the globe who promote the beauty and versatility of Merino wool and is considered world’s most prestigious award for emerging designers.
According to its website” the International Woolmark Prize was first held in 1953 as an initiative of the International Wool Secretariat, the award was won the following year by iconic fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. Today, the International Woolmark Prize continues to recognise design excellence using Australian Merino wool. The prize crosses borders and cultures to spotlight emerging fashion talent from hotspots in more than 60 countries before a who’s who of the international fashion industry.”
Over the years there have been at least two if not three Asian based designers who have made the finals. The IWP has given a bigger international platform for amazing brands such as MÜNN, 2014 winner Rahul Mishra, Ski Im and Sixlee. Last year we saw South Korean brand Youser compete alongside Chinese brands I Am Chen and Angel Chen all designers presented incredibly strong and fashion forward collections however none of them were able to claim the grand prize.
The 2020 finals will see South Korean label Blindness and Chinese born London / Shanghai based designer Feng Chen Wang compete along with other finalists for the grand prize.
This time around the designers must create a six piece collection that is completely traceable and adds transparency to the collection’s supply chain.
Blindness is a brand that is well known for its androgynous silhouettes and extravagant embellishments. The brand holds one of the most anticipated and attended shows each time it participates in Seoul Fashion Week and has recently made their international debut at London Fashion Week with their Spring 2019 collection. According to The International Woolmark Company Blindness is “focused on reducing its waste throughout the entire manufacturing process, from fabric to garment construction. The designers are committed to ensuring a safe environment for all people involved in the creation of their clothing.”
Feng Chen Wang is known for creating functional and technical outerwear and unisex clothing that are inspired by her life experiences. Her unique take on design has allowed the designer to collaborate with well known footwear brands Levi and Converse. In January of this year Feng Cheng Wang held her first solo runway show during London Fashion Week. According to the International Woolmark Company the designer “uses deadstock fabric in her collections and has often sourced entire second-hand garments to create new pieces, giving them new life.” Before producing and releasing her Spring 2020 collection Fengchen worked with a local community which uses plant-based dyes instead of chemicals.
To learn more about these designers and the other 2020 International Woolmark Prize finalists Click Here.
We wish every finalist good luck and can’t wait to see your final collections in February 2020
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ARTICLE WRITTEN BY JOURDIE
IMAGES: SOURCED FROM BLINDNESS AND FENG CHEN WANG
ANNOTATIONS:
INTERNATIONAL WOOLMARK PRIZE 2020 FINALISTS. (2019, October 29). Retrieved October 29, 2019, from https://www.woolmarkprize.com/news/2020-finalists/.