Fashion win for Kiwis
It was a successful day for New Zealand fashion in Sydney yesterday as Auckland-based Harman Grubisa and Melbourne-based Blair Archibald won the womenswear and menswear categories at this year’s International Woolmark Prize regional final.
Harman Grubisa, designed by Madeleine Harman and Jessica Grubisa, is the first fashion brand from New Zealand to win a category, after being named as finalists last year. Both winners will go on to the next phase of the competition, with the global finals in Paris in early 2018.
The aim of the awards is to promote the use of Australian merino wool, with past winners including Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld (who both won in 1954), Christian Wijnants and Dion Lee.
“We’ve only been designing together for three and a half years, so to even be nominated for a Woolmark Prize is a huge honour, let alone for the second year running, and now to win it,” Grubisa said. “Not only will the prizemoney help us create a more mature, high-quality infrastructure, the award puts us alongside some of the most revered designers in fashion history, which is such a dream for us both.”
As winners of the womenswear and menswear categories from the Australia/New Zealand region, each label receives A$75,000 ($80,940) to compete in the global finals next year, alongside regional winners from London, Dubai, Milan, New York, and Seoul.
Nominated by Dame Pieter Stewart both years, the designers were ecstatic about the win, which was announced at a lunch at Kurraba Pt in Sydney. The winners were surrounded by press, fellow contestants and judges, including editor-in-chief of Australian Harper’s Bazaar Kellie Hush, general manager of David Jones womenswear Damien Burke, Men’s Style fashion director Kim Payne, managing director of The Woolmark Company Stuart McCullough, and last year’s International Woolmark Prize winner, fashion designer Gabriela Hearst
. New York-based Hearst, a judge of this year’s regional awards, believes Harman Grubisa has what it takes to progress to the next level.
“I like that they are very entrepreneurial. They have their own store in New Zealand, and this is a great opportunity for them.”
To win the category, Harman and Grubisa presented a six-piece collection made from merino wool.