The International Woolmark Prize was first held in 1953 as an initiative of the International Wool Secretariat, the award was won the following year by iconic fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent.

Today, the International Woolmark Prize continues to recognise design excellence using Australian Merino wool. The prize crosses borders and cultures to spotlight emerging fashion talent from hotspots in more than 60 countries before a who’s who of the international fashion industry.

The following criteria are: 

• The Woolmark Company will nominate a maximum of two individuals as representatives
• You have to be a permanent resident in the country selected by the Designer
• You can demonstrate innovative use of fabrics and textiles and have been producing commercial products for a minimum of three years and a maximum of eight years (at the time of submitting this application)
• You can demonstrate consistent experience in working with apparel supply chains and show yearly growth in sales
• You don't already stock products with more than five retailers within the IWP Global Retail Network 

The regional awards will be held in three regions as of 2018/19: Australasia; Europe and the UK; and the Americas, with one menswear and one womenswear regional winner receiving a financial reward of 70.000 AU$ and granted the opportunity to compete in the global final, traditionally held during key fashion weeks across the world.

Both the global menswear and womenswear winners will not only receive a further financial contribution of 200.000 AU$ but also the chance to have their Merino wool capsule collection commercialised and sold in the world’s top boutiques and department stores through the International Woolmark Prize’s extensive retail partner network.