Saul Nash is the winner of the International Woolmark Prize 2022 announced  during a special event recently held in London. 

Mmusomaxwell is also celebrating after being awarded the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation. The winners will each receive AU$200,000 and AU$100,000 respectively along with support from the industry and Woolmark Prize retail partners. 

A jury of fashion experts including Ben Gorham, Carine Roitfeld, Edward Enninful OBE, Ibrahim Kamara, Marc Newson CBE, Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, Naomi Campbell, Pieter Mulier, Riccardo Tisci, Shaway Yeh, Sinéad Burke selected the winners.

London-based designer Saul Nash was praised for his modern use of Merino wool, bridging a gap between activewear and formal apparel.



“Everyone did a great job and could have been a winner,” said Riccardo Tisci. “But what Saul did, coming from a ballet background, to replace Lycra with wool was really incredible.” Nash's collection was able to disclose the benefits of Merino wool in activewear, allowing him to develop materials that enhance his designs without compromising their technical DNA. With a focus on minimising waste, and emphasising movement and performance, Saul Nash expresses his own modern interpretation of knitwear applied to sportswear.

From South Africa, Mmusomaxwell’s winning collection was committed to reducing its environmental impact and upskilling traditional craftsmanship.

“When you meet certain people, you immediately have love at first sight,” explained Carine Roitfeld. “I love what Mmusomaxwell is doing and how they explain their work. They have a dream and what they are doing is not just for South Africa, but for a modern, western woman. I think Karl would have loved to have spoken with them today, and am sure he would be very happy to give this award to them.” Sourcing local raw materials and end-to-end production, Mmusomaxwell took an artisanal approach to its collection as each item promotes slow and small batch production through use of local artisans to counteract over-consumption and allows for greater product traceability. 

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