Back in July, an esteemed panel of industry specialists came together to choose the finalists for the 2022 International Woolmark Prize. Now, four months later, we’re finally ready to hear the finalists.

“We’re thrilled to introduce the next generation of creative game-changers to take part in the 2022 International Woolmark Prize,” says John Roberts, CEO of The Woolmark Company. “As the award continues to evolve, our aim is to support designers to think beyond today, highlighting the  innovation, versatility and sustainability of Merino wool and showcase its basis for new technologies to meet the discerning needs of tomorrow’s customer.”

This year’s award is centred around the theme of ‘play’, with the organisation imploring its finalists to think as big and celebratory as possible. Taking to a varying mix of innovative textiles, vibrant designs and even experimental business practices, the global wool authority has named Priya Ahluwalia and Saul Nash as this year’s UK finalists. The former is best known for her vibrant and sustainable sportswear staples, unpacking her life as an Indian-Nigerian South-West Londoner, while the latter’s vibrant portrait of queer adolescence in the city turned heads aplenty at SS22. 

With each finalist receiving a grant of AU$60,000 to produce their own Merino wool collection, the two find themselves up against EGONLAB (France), Jordan Dalah (Australia), MMUSOMAXWELL (South Africa), Peter Do (USA) and Rui (China) in the fight for the company’s first prize: a first-rate industry mentoring initiative that also includes a grant of AU$200,000 to invest in the development of their business. 

One finalist will also nab the Karl Lagerfeld (a former prizewinner) Award for Innovation (AU $100,000), and another the Woolmark Supply Chain Award, which ensures the utmost quality, excellence and transparency in wool-made produce across the supply chain. But impatient readers would do best to look away now, as we won’t actually find out the winner until April 2021. We promise it’ll be worth the wait.

Find out more about The Woolmark Prize 2022’s talented finalists here.