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Two young, unknown womenswear designers, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent, step up on stage to accept their respective fashion design prizes at the International Wool Secretariat awards. Lagerfeld, then 21, wins the coat category. Saint Laurent, just 18, wins the award for dress design, judged by a panel which included Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain. Fashion history is made.

An international identity for wool is created to increase consumer confidence and represent quality standards. Italian graphic artist Francesco Saroglia designs the Woolmark logo featuring five black bands criss-crossing to form a skein-shape perfectly represent the softness, elegance and modernity of wool. Today the Woolmark logo is one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands.

The Woolmark Prize was held in Paris in 2008 and revived the original International Wool Secretariat awards. Chinese designer Qiu Hao was the winner and received financial support along with assistance in sourcing materials.

Christian Wijnants snares the coveted International Woolmark Prize during London Fashion Week. The Belgium-based designer took a single piece of yarn as his starting point and explored all of its potential, including applying the shibori technique, to create unique shapes and moulded around the body like sculpture.

Rahul Mishra wins the International Woolmark Prize during Milan Fashion Week. Inspired by Maurits Cornelis Escher, the capsule range of delicate embroidery examines the eight-petal lotus and its similarities to the complex structure modern cities. The designs reflect the lifecycle of wool from its natural state on the land to the concrete cities where it’s redesigned and reinvented.

In response to industry demand, the International Woolmark Prize expands to include a separate category for menswear, which is held during London Collections: Men in London. The inaugural menswear prize is won by American label Public School and judged by an esteemed panel including Paul Smith, Dylan Jones, Tim Blanks and Nick Wooster.

A travelling female architect provides the inspiration for 2015 International Woolmark Prize winner Marcia Patmos. The American designer creates a capsule wardrobe for the modern global nomad that impresses a panel including Victoria Beckham and Angelica Cheung for the final held in Beijing during the Chinese Year of the Sheep.

Indian menswear label SUKETDHIR was announced as the winner of the 2015/2016 International Woolmark Prize menswear award, presented at a special event at Pitti Uomo, Florence. The winning collection marries traditional techniques, such as Ikat, with modern silhouettes and was judges by an esteemed panel including Haider Ackermann, Suzy Menkes and Imran Amed.

London-based duo Teatum Jones was awarded the 2015/16 International Woolmark Prize for womenswear at a star-studded event held on schedule at New York Fashion Week. Using a mix of 17.5 micron and 19.5 micron Australian Merino wool for the clothes, and 23 micron wool for the accessories, Teatum Jones showed artisanal qualities through Merino wool lace, colour blocking and double-faced wool to create a three-dimensional quality.

For the first time, the menswear and womenswear finals of the International Woolmark Prize was were held together at a star-studded event at the iconic Palais de Tokyo, Paris. Representing the British Isles, COTTWEILER was announced as the menswear winners, praised for a collection that mixes sports, tailoring, streetwear and fashion. The USA’s Gabriela Hearst took out the womenswear award with sleek silhouettes and crisp, tailored lines.

The womenswear and menswear global finals of the International Woolmark Prize were held in tandem during Pitti Uomo in Florence, where Indian designer Ruchika Sachdeva of Bodice won the womenswear award, and was praised for her technique and thoughtful approach to manufacturing. Matthew Miller, who represented the British Isles, received the menswear award for his highly functional collection. Powered by Future Tech Lab, the inaugural Innovation Award went to Christopher Bevans of DYNE, who created a technical snowboarding wardrobe.