Christian Wijnants is this year’s winner of the International Woolmark Prize. Walking on stage last Saturday to accept the award in London, Wijnants beamed with excitement. It comes as no surprise that the woollen creations of the young Belgian designer managed to convince the tough jury (And we mean tough. Think Victoria Beckham, Donatella Versace, Diane von Furstenberg, Franca Sozzani and Tim Blanks). After all, his capsule collection unites superb innovative design with a marketable appeal and sustainable values.
“Christian invented a new shape and made it possible with an industrial production process,” explained Franca Sozzani, Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue. “His designs are flattering, feminine and sexy, a modern interpretation of wool,” she added, offering some insight into what the jury was looking for in the winning collection.
Christian Wijnants’ collection will surely appeal to a growing new type of aware consumer, the so-called LOHAS (Lifestyle Of Health And Sustainability) shopper who appreciates the use of natural fibre. The designer’s intriguing tie-dye knits and unusual shapes take wool decidedly into the Twenty First Century. The winning capsule collection made of Merino wool was based on the simple idea of starting from a single white yarn. Wijnants worked on seamless garments, knitted in one piece, applying hand-knitting and hand-dyeing techniques. The collection will be available in partner retailers globally as of September 2013. Read an in-depth interview with Wijnants in the upcoming issue of Sleek, out in March.