London Fashion Week descended on the Lindley Hall for the final of the prestigious International Woolmark Prize in February 2019. Revered judges including Alber Elbaz, Sinead Burke, Tim Blanks and Floriane de Saint Pierre along with representatives from the International Woolmark Prize retail partner network took the morning to judge the collections from talented designers across the globe. 

After reaching a conclusion the Lindley Hall was opened to guests in the evening for the much-awaited catwalk show featuring all twelve entrants’ collections. The show was concluded with a choir singing a hearty rendition of Queen’s ‘Don’t stop me now’ under a shower of golden glitter.

Colin Firth gave British born Edward Crutchley the award for his menswear collection and US husband and wife team Colovos were announced the winners for their womenswear collection. Crutchley also received the Innovation Award, celebrating the most innovative or sustainable approach to systems production, materials, textile design or product design. 

Lorraine Thorne, venue sales manager said, “the Lindley Hall works so well for Fashion Week as while we have the space for big shows it’s also incredibly private and perfect for keeping things very secret.”

Both Edward Crutchley and Colovos will each receive AU$200,000 to help support the development of their business. In addition, Crutchley will receive a further AU$100,000 for his Innovation Award win. “This win means everything,” says Crutchley. “It has changed my life forever. It's going to change the way I design and approach everything. I'm incredibly flattered.”

The International Woolmark Prize is a unique talent development program which celebrates the world’s best emerging designers, providing them with ongoing mentorship from industry experts. This year’s entrants will join a prestigious alumni program, with 400 designers already benefitting from the award. Previous winners have included the late Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent.

The Lindley Hall has a steep history in Fashion Week having hosted shows for Anya Hindmarch, Alexander McQueen and Tom Ford. Find out more and watch the video on our Fashion Show page.



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