Young Indian fashion designer, Rahul Mishra, has won the regional final for the International Woolmark Prize.
Mishra is known for his contribution to Indian handlooms and working with the Indian craft community through sustainable design interventions
At an event in Delhi on 25 July, the Acting Australian High Commissioner to India, Bernard Philip, congratulated Mishra on his win and said "the strong showing of Indian designers represented in the International Woolmark Prize regional finals is a testament to the creativity and professionalism of the next generation of the Indian fashion industry."
"Australia is the world's leading wool producer and Australian Merino wool is recognised for its high quality and its environmental credentials. The International Woolmark Prize has become a globally-recognised award for emerging designers and provides a chance to demonstrate their creativity, develop their career and increase their international profile," he added.
Mishra won a cash prize of Australian diollars 50,000 to stage a fashion show at an international fashion week of his choice. He will also represent the region at the International Woolmark Prize global final where he will compete with other young designers for a cash prize of A$100,000 and the opportunity to commercialise their business through a series of international retailer partners aligned to the award. The competition draws on the best talent from across the globe and finals will be held at Milan Fashion week in February 2014.
An expert jury chose Mishra from a group of designers from India, Pakistan and the Middle East. The judges were the President of the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), Sunil Sethi, Australian fashion icon and founder of Australian Fashion Week, Simon Lock, Global Strategic Adviser of Woolmark Australia, Peter Ackroyd, Indian fashion designer, Manish Arora, and Founder and Editor of The Business of Fashion, Imran Amed.
The Australian Wool Industry has funded many designer support programs dating back to the illustrious International Wool Secretariat design award of the 1950s. It was at the 1954 awards that two young, unknown women's wear designers, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent, stepped up onto a stage to accept their respective fashion design prizes. Lagerfeld, then 21, was the winner of the coat category. Saint Laurent, at a mere 18 years old, won the award for dress design, judged by a panel which included Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain.