Lagos Space Programme, the nonbinary luxury label by Adeju Thompson, was named winner of the International Woolmark Prize on Monday.
The Nigerian designer triumphed over seven other designers who were tasked with creating a capsule collection using merino wool and has clinched the cash prize of AU $200,000 ($134025) to put toward the development of their business.
Danish knitwear label A. Roege Hove took home the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation which comes with a AU $100,000 ($67,000) cash prize.
This year’s competition was judged by a panel of industry heavyweights including Alessandro Sartori, Zegna’s artistic director, Franceso Risso, creative director of Marni, model Caroline de Maigret, photographer Tyler Mitchell and Business of Fashion’s editor-at-large, Tim Blanks.
Thompson’s designs placed them in the shortlist for the LVMH Prize in 2021. The designer has shown collections in Milan, Lagos and Paris. Lagos Space Programme was also featured in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Africa Fashion” exhibit in London last year.
Other finalists of the prize include Paris-based label Bluemarble, Italy’s Marco Rambaldi, South Korean menswear label MAXXIJ, London-based knitwear brand Paulina Russo, Los Angeles-based Rhude and Irish menswear designer Robyn Lynch.
All finalists are granted entry into the Woolmark Alumni Programme and their collections will be carried at retailers around the world.
Founded in 1937 to promote wool on the global market, the competition has evolved into a pipeline funnelling emerging and innovative designers into the industry. Former recipients of the prize include Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren and Dion Lee.
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