Woolmark Presents Designer Award at 2008 L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival

5 March 2008

Australian Wool Innovation is proud to announce its support for emerging Australian designers with the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival (LMFF) Designer Award presented by Woolmark.

The award was presented last night to 300 key fashion industry representatives and media at Melbourne’s Central Pier at the Docklands. Guests included:

• Theo Theophanous, The Hon Minister
• Naomi Milgrom, Executive Deputy Chair of the LMFF Board of Directors
• John So, Lord Mayor of Melbourne
• Grant Pearce, Editor of GQ Magazine

Winner of the 2008 Designer Award

The winner was Friedrich Gray. This Sydney based label is the brainchild of designer Ben Pollitt. Since March 2006, Ben has been fleshing out his alter ego, a character whose journey runs parallel to the vision of the designer and is played out in each season's range.

Designer Award Winner, Ben Pollitt

Australian Merino wool plays a major role in the Friedrich Gray 2008 Winter Collection, 'So We Dug a Tunnel'. Superfine woollen jersey makes the statement in unisex singlets, cardigans, leather embodied tops, and all signature pieces of the collection.  Due to the flexibility and weight of the wool, shoulder and sleeve panels provide movement whilst providing a visual element unique to the collection.

Along with a $10,000 cash prize, the winner of the 2008 LMFF Designer Award was presented with a prize that money cannot buy: a package including airfare and accommodation to Europe where Friedrich will be introduced to the best spinners, knitters and mills in the world, from the most prestigious names in Italy’s textile industry including Cerruti, Ermenegildo Zegna and Zegna Baruffa.

Woolmark’s Partnership with LMFF

The LMFF Designer award is the most highly regarded within the industry and has provided a significant opportunity for Australian designers in the early stages of their careers to establish themselves within a competitive, global environment. The partnership with LMFF will reinforce Woolmark’s position as a vital part of the Australian fashion industry.

“The standard of design showcased at last nights event was very impressive” said Craig Welsh, CEO of AWI. “It’s great to see these upcoming designers utilising one of Australia’s most valuable resources, Australian Merino wool, as part of their seasonal collections.”

“The return of Woolmark to the Melbourne Fashion Festival after almost ten years marks an important milestone in the global re-launch of the Woolmark.”

AWI recently integrated with The Woolmark Company. As a result of this historic merger, AWI became the owner of Woolmark brands: the world’s best known textile fibre brands. AWI will invest in the revitalisation of the Woolmark brand which will be re-launched globally in 2008.

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