Designers SUKETDHIR and Taller Marmo win 2015/16 International Woolmark Prize

SUKETDHIR and Taller Marmo were announced as the menswear and womenswear winners, respectively, of the 2015/16 International Woolmark Prize India, Pakistan and the Middle East regional final, at an awards event held at the Manzil hotel, Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
A judging panel comprising Nez Gebreel, CEO, Dubai Design & Fashion Council; Osman Yousefzada, Designer; Bridget Cosgrave, Fashion and Buying Director, Boutique 1; Louise Nichol, Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia; Melissa Grace, The Woolmark Company; Che Kurrien, Editor, GQ India and Alison Tay, Editor-in-Chief, Grazia Middle East, selected SUKETDHIR as the menswear winner and Taller Marmo as the winner for the womenswear category.
SUKETDHIR impressed the judges with unique merino fabric developments and hand woven techniques were presented passionately; representing the region brilliantly while UAE based Taller Marmo showed a truly exciting collection with a very international perspective.
Speaking about the prize Suket Dhir said, “I am extremely proud to have received this accolade from such a prestigious institution, particularly when taking into account all the amazing designers that have come before me. I am so grateful to The Woolmark Company for creating this wonderful platform to support designers.”
Chosen from amongst the 11 most promising talents in India, Pakistan and the Middle East fashion design, both winners gain a financial contribution of AED 136,112, plus the opportunity to represent India, Pakistan and the Middle East and compete in the prestigious international final. The final for menswear will be held in Florence in January 2016, and the womenswear final will be held in New York in February 2016.
The finalists will compete for the coveted International Woolmark Prize, the winners being awarded an additional AED 272,224, and the opportunity to be stocked in the most important retailers of the world, including Harvey Nichols (London), 10 Corso Como (Milan, Beijing and Shanghai), Matchesfashion.com (online), Mytheresa.com (online), Saks Fifth Avenue (NYC), Joyce (China), Boutique 1 (UAE) and David Jones (Australia).
The Woolmark Company Managing Director Stuart McCullough explained: “The International Woolmark Prize is our commitment to educating the next generation of fashion industry leaders about the extraordinary potential of Merino wool, and we congratulate SUKETDHIR and Taller Marmo on their win.”