Lifestyle
The first edition of Wool Runway ends on a fashionable note
Mumbai, December: The Woolmark Company today announced four winners of its inaugural Wool Runway design competition, aimed at giving tertiary students a kick-start with their fashion career. Ankit Kajla (Wool Runway winner), Kavya Doultani (1st Runner Up), Miloni Kothari(2nd Runner Up) and Apoorva Wadhwa (2nd Runner Up) not only win financial support, but also exciting internships with Raymond, Madura Fashion & Lifestyle and fashion magazine Grazia. Dressed in a stunning Merino wool outfit designed by Nachiket Barve, actress Vaani Kapoor presented the awards to the four winners and congratulated their innovative use of wool in their designs.
Wool Runway not only raises awareness yet also educates the next generation of consumers and inspires emerging fashion designers to work with Merino wool. The students’ designs were a spectacular visual representation of avant-garde, and wearable fashion that highlighted the versatility of Merino wool.
Industry leaders and influencers judged the award, including: President of Raymond Limited., Sudhanshu Pokhriyal; Creative Director of Louis Philippe & Simon Carter, Karunesh Vohra; Editor of Grazia India, Mehernaaz Dhondy; Creative Director and Founder of WhiteBoard, Kapil Batus; and Fashion Designer Payal Khandwala. The jury carefully selected the winning designs against strict judging criteria, including the use of at least 80 per cent wool per outfit.
A key highlight of the awards night was an exclusive fashion show held by the House of Raymond, which included its made to measure, ready to wear and fine fabrics ranges. Celebrated youth icons and showstoppers Shravan Reddy and Ruslaan Mumtaz were dressed in Raymond Fine Fabrics, designed by Dhruv Vaish.
“The winning designs were a beautiful display of the students’ abilities as fashion designers,” explained The Woolmark Company Country Manager India, Arti Gudal. “They have thoroughly studied the fibre and used it to its full potential which directly reflects in their quality of work. It is our constant endeavour to unleash budding talent and bring them to the forefront as they explore the infinite possibilities of working with Merino wool. We are happy that Wool Runway has done just that and been a nurturing and innovative platform for students of this generation. It has been an exciting journey right from the beginning and we are so happy to have industry leaders and designers support Wool Runway.”
Sudhanshu Pokhriyal, President – Suiting Business, Raymond Ltd. added “Being a leader in the Textile industry and the largest importer of Wool in the country, Raymond is reckoned for offering consumers highest quality fine fabrics crafted from wool. With our numerous pioneering innovations with wool, we are committed to increase the consumption of this all-weather fabric in India through our array of offerings. While there is an inherent need to educate consumers about the versatility of wool, Wool Runway is the perfect platform for sensitising the design community that plays a pivotal role in taking fashion to consumers.”
The Woolmark Company is the global authority on wool. Through our extensive network of relationships spanning the international textile and fashion industries, we highlight Australian wool’s position as the ultimate natural fibre and premier ingredient in luxury apparel.
The Woolmark logo is one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands, providing assurance of the highest quality, and representing pioneering excellence and innovation from farm through to finished product.
The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit enterprise owned by more than 24,000 woolgrowers that invests in research, development and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool.
