（2012年7月12日，北京）国际羊毛标志大奖始于1953年，旨在寻找全球杰出的新锐设计师，彰显羊毛内在的环保创新特质。今年重新启动的国际羊毛标志大奖先后于全球5个大区展开首轮角逐，它们分别是：中国，欧洲，美国，印度和澳大利亚。国际羊毛标志大奖中国区赛事由国际羊毛局与<Vogue服饰与美容>联合呈现，在双方共同举办的颁奖典礼上，国际羊毛局的首席执行官Stuart McCullough与<Vogue服饰与美容>编辑总监Angelica Cheung宣布设计师班晓雪获得2012年度国际羊毛标志大奖中国区冠军头衔，并为其颁奖。班晓雪将代表中国赛区前往2013年伦敦时装周、参加国际羊毛标志大奖的总决选。

中国赛区评委团由时尚创意行业的意见领袖组成，她们分别是：<Vogue服饰与美容>编辑总监Angelica Cheung，国际超模杜鹃，服装设计师Uma Wang，艺术家向京，以及国际羊毛标志大奖独家零售合作伙伴JOYCE的市场传讯副总裁刘宁。以不记名打分方式，中国赛区评委团推选了设计师班晓雪为本次中国区冠军。班晓雪对美丽诺羊毛有着深入的见解，他对羊毛面料进行了大量后处理试验后，创作了极富创新性的作品“生长”系列。班晓雪将羊毛与少量真丝混纺，使一整片融合过的材料随着人体曲线与身姿自然流动、生长，而无需刻意裁剪，整体作品自然、飘逸，富有诗意。他表示：“美丽诺羊毛本身具有柔软纤细，透气保暖等特性， 更重要的是它具有极强的包容性与可塑性。”

此外，其他几位设计师的参赛作品，也别具一格，令人印象深刻。设计师刘芳，采用百分百美丽诺羊毛，以独特的编织技术诠释服装的未来感与雕塑感。

设计师倪华的作品，更具商业化价值，她以日本武士风格为灵感，运用于女装设计，展现穿衣者的刚柔并济与从容优雅之美。

而设计师于惋宁的主题为蜃楼，她把羊毛打碎后重组，以时装的形式重新演绎李尤松的艺术画作《工厂迷宫》，赋予时尚以艺术生命。

国际羊毛局首席执行官Stuart McCullough表示：国际羊毛局为能举办国际羊毛标志大奖这一全球性的大奖，深感自豪。这一奖项代表了国际羊毛局对社会的承诺，即培育时尚界未来的领袖人物并与之建立联系，彰显美丽诺羊毛领域的杰出设计。

<Vogue服饰与美容>编辑总监表示：Vogue很高兴可以联合举办国际羊毛标志大奖的比赛。这一知名赛事拥有悠久的历史，并于1954年挖掘了当时还不知名的两位设计师， Karl Lagerfeld和Yves Saint Laurent。我坚信它将为挖掘中国服装设计人才、鼓励时尚设计以及面料创新，开启崭新的一页。

国际羊毛标志大奖以挖掘、支持具有潜力的设计人才为主旨。区域赛事也将同月在欧洲、美国、澳大利亚和印度展开。每个区域冠军将获得五万澳币奖金并进入全球决赛，总冠军将再获10万澳币奖金并有机会将其产品在全球高端零售店如伦敦的Harvy Nicoles、纽约的Bergdof 以及中国的JOYCE等进行销售，实现商业化操作。

更多信息，请浏览：

www.woolmarkprize.com

www.vogue.com.cn/magazine/feature/woolmarkprize/

详情垂询：

Wool Innovation is in fashion                                          at the China Regional Award for the International Woolmark Prize

 (July 12th 2012, Beijing) The International Woolmark Prize (IWP), first launched in 1953, aims to find innovative new designers from around the world to highlight wool’s eco credentials through their interpretations of wool. IWP, re-launched this year, is held in five regions, China, Europe, USA, India and Australia. The China region competition of IWP is co-presented with Vogue China. At the exclusive event hosted by Stuart McCullough, CEO of The Woolmark Company and Angelica Cheung, editor-in-chief of Vogue China, Ban Xiao Xue is announced as the China champion who will join the IWP global final in February 2013 during London Fashion Week.

A judge panel formed by opinion leaders from the industry, Vogue China editor-in-chief Angelica Cheung, supermodel Du Juan, fashion designer Uma Wang, artist Xiang Jing and Ning Lau, representative of JOYCE as the exclusive retail partner of IWP in China, selected Ban Xiao Xue as the regional Champion by an anonymous scoring system. Ban Xiao Xue has a deep connection to the Merino wool fibre and experimented in post treatment of his wool fabrics, before he created his very innovative work of ‘Growth’. He produces a whole piece of special fabric, mixed with Merino wool and little amount of silk, and allows it to drape on the human form with limited cutting, which creates a natural and poetic feel. “Merino wool is soft and fine, good at breathability and keeping warm, and what’s more it’s especially versatile,” explained IWP finalist for China, Ban Xiao Xue.

Submissions that were received from other contending designers were all unique and impressive. Designer Liu Fang used 100% Merino wool to deliver futuristic and sculptural effects with special knitting techniques. The work of designer Ni Hua has a more commercial focus. She takes inspiration from Japanese Samurai style and applies it to female apparel design which expresses the tough tenderness and natural elegance of female wearer. The work of Yu Wan Ning is named Mirage, which crosses apparel design over with art. She deconstructs wool yarn and reconstructs them into apparel that re-interprets the artistic painting of Factory Maze by Li You Song.

“The Woolmark Company are proud to present the International Woolmark Prize and see it as a social commitment, a sharing of resources to connect with fashion’s future leaders and to highlight outstanding design in Merino wool.” explained Stuart McCullough , CEO of The Woolmark Company.

“Vogue China is happy to be the co-presenter of the China region competition of the International Woolmark Prize. This prestigious award has its glamorous past in Europe with Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent as the winners of 1954 and I’m sure it will have a great new page to open with the Chinese designers talents in fashion design and fabric innovation.  ” said Angelica Cheung, editor-in-chief of Vogue China.

The purpose of IWP is to discover and support the fashion leaders of the future. The regional awards will also be held in Europe, USA, Australia and India. The regional finalists will win a cash award of A$50,000 and entry into the global final. The global winner will receive another cash award of A$100,000 and opportunity to commercialize his/her products at high end retailer around the world including Harvey Nichols in London, Bergdorf Goodman in New York, and JOYCE in China.

For more information, please visit

www.woolmarkprize.com

www.vogue.com.cn/magazine/feature/woolmarkprize/

More information, please contact:

The Woolmark Company

Sherry Zhu

Telephone：021. 5208 0306

Fax：021. 5208 0306   

Address：No. 5 Gao An Road, Xu Hui District, Shanghai    

Email：sherry.zhu@wool.com