Towards the conclusion of 2021, The International Woolmark Prize 2022 (IWP22), a prestigious award for emerging designers committed to lessening fashion’s environmental impact, had unveiled its seven finalists.
The new cohort of fashion talent — including South African womenswear brand MMUSOMAXWELL who were selected to be part of the group that have been dubbed “creative game-changers” by The Woolmark Company CEO, John Roberts, for their dedication to responsible sourcing and design practices.
The brain child of Maxwell Boko and Mmuso Potsane was founded in 2016. The ready-to-wear high-end womenswear brand which prides itself on ethically creating garments inspired by African heritage and contemporary culture with a particular emphasis on tailoring to complement the modern woman. The luxury label presented their latest A/W collection for the IWP22 entitled “Ukholo- Faith” .
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Along side MMUSOMAXWELL, British labels Ahluwalia and Saul Nash, American designer Peter Do, Chinese label Rui, along with, French label EGONlab and Australian designer Jordan Dalah — Fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, and more recently, Gabriela Hearst have all competed and placed in the Woolmark Prize.
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The prize was founded in 1936 by Australian brand The Woolmark Company in an attempt to bring the material into the luxury market. “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,” said Roberts in a statement.
This year, the designers interpreted the theme “play” while tasked with creating a new collection made entirely of Merino wool, all the while detailing the sustainability of their supply chain.
In a short film entitled, ‘Welcome to PLAYSCAPE’, the finalists showcased their collections in a celebration of the art of play. Directed by FKA twigs and creative directed by Zak Group with choreography by Juliano Nunes. the invigorating audio visual presented the works of the South Africa duo MMUSOMAXWELL along side their competitors. PLAYSCAPE was inspired by Isamu Noguchi’s vision of play as a creative catalyst and merges “influence from fashion, art, dance, and music.”
