The 2021 Woolmark Prize collections are now available to buy. Celebrating slow and responsibly produced fashion and craftsmanship, these Merino wool-rich collections were created with the theme Less Is More in mind, adding sustainable staples to your wardrobe. From modernising traditional arts, to embedding essential oils into clothes, and making a 100% natural, renewable and biodegradable fibre even greener, these collections shine the spotlight on Merino wool – but not as you know it.
Matty Bovan
The experimental London designer won both the 2021 Woolmark Prize and Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation, delivering a traceable collection inspired by travelling and escapism – something needed now more than ever before. Bovan’s Ode to Sea has you rethinking knitwear and discovering the hands which helped form the resultant collection.
Keeping production small and local, Bovan rethinks waste by using deadstock fabrics, developing intricate zero-waste knitwear and employing small batch natural dye processes using minimal water.
Standout pieces include the apron - made from Woolmark-certified deadstock duffle that is screen printed and hand painted in-house by the Matty Bovan Studio; and a 100% Merino fur coat - using a renewable alternative to traditional fur or synthetic faux fur, hand-dyed in small batches.
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Bethany Williams
The entire ethos of Bethany Williams' eponymous label focuses on creating social and environmental change. For her Woolmark Prize collection, Williams - who collaborated with The Magpie Project and artist Melissa Kitty Jarram - rescued waste book covers and swatch sample surplus to develop new textiles.
Standout pieces include a zip-up jacket and pants made from book waste, shredded with an electric guillotine before being woven on a hand loom with 100% Merino wool.
Casablanca
Looking to boost your energy levels and improve your mental clarity? Look no further than Casablanca’s lemon yellow harlequin diamond tailored pants and cropped jacket, with zesty oil capsules embedded into the wool fabric.
If 2021 has taught us anything, it's that the world needs more positivity and beauty - and Casablanca’s loud and joyful prints do just that. Inspired by the daytime aesthetic of Formula 1 sportswear combined with the late-night glamour of the casino, Casablanca applies Neapolitan tailoring techniques to leisure wear, offering an elegant update on the contemporary dress.
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Kenneth Ize
Nigerian born designer Kenneth Ize beautifully reinterprets traditional crafts from his homeland into modern, fashion-forward creations. Supporting a small community of weavers and working directly with Nigerian artisans, Kenneth Ize's Woolmark Prize collection transforms traditional practices into modern day. Working with the community of Aso-oke weavers, the collection features an innovative wool crepe fabric created from Merino wool yarns and Nigerian-spun rayon to create. Be sure to notice the intricate detailing on the jumpsuit, replicating the pattern of Mursi body painting.
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THEBE MAGUGU
Truly showing fashion has no geographical borders or boundaries - a core pillar of the Woolmark Prize - Thebe Magugu transports African skills and prints to the world. The panelled dress depicts the finger painting of the Surma people from Ethiopia, who paint their bodies to imitate the animals they interact with. The wool suiting in the collection bears a digital print inspired by the work of a traditional healer, Noentla Khumalo, based in Johannesburg.
For a true work of art, don't miss THEBE MAGUGU's scarification jacket - created in collaboration with ByBorre - paying homage to the scars worn by the traditional healers of South Africa. Mimicking scarified skin, the raised surface also doubles as braille for one of Magugu's favourite African proverbs: "What you do to your ancestors, your children will do unto you".
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