The 2014–15 International Woolmark Prize (IWP) for the U.S. winners were named Monday night for both menswear and womenswear at Milk Studios in New York. Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School (recently awarded the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize) and Marcia Patmos of M.Patmos will represent the U.S. in the IWP final, for which the winner will receive a $94,000 scholarship and the opportunity to have his or her collection stocked in the most prestigious fashion retail stores around the world.
Each entry for the prize used Merino wool to create a single look. Chow and Osborne were appreciative of the versatility they gained from working with the materials. “Working with wool and all of its natural benefits has been instrumental in developing the trans-seasonality and versatility of our own collection,”they said of the honor. “And it’s going to really help jumpstart our knitwear business.”
Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow of Public School, winners of the first IWP USA Regional Award for menswear
A judging panel comprised of Alexander Wang, Ariel Foxman, Colleen Sherin, David Granger, Eric Jennings, Malcolm Carfrae, Michelle Lee, Stefano Tonchi, and Steven Kolb selected the winners from a group of five finalists for each category.
Other finalists included Jonathan Simkhai, Nonoo, Rosie Assoulin, and Whit for womenswear and Antonio Azzuolo, Ovadia & Sons, Timo Weiland, and Todd Snyder for the first menswear award.
Finalists for the IWP USA Regional Award in both menswear and womenswear
