Kaelen, Cadet, and Thaddeus O’Neil Among Nominees for International Woolmark Prize

Ten American nominees will compete for the 2015/2016 International Woolmark Prize, a prestigious fashion award first founded in 1953 and revived in 2012 (early winners included Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent so even a nod is a big deal for a designer on the rise.)

The award honors select designers from over 20 countries worldwide who use Australian merino wool in their designs. Ultimately, 6 menswear finalists and 6 womenswear finalists will compete in early 2016 for two top prizes of $80,000 each plus partnerships with retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue and 10 Corso Como.

So who are the bright young things to pay attention to now? The nominees for womenswear, who will be celebrated at an event in New York this July, are Chris Gelinas, Kaelen, Nellie Partow, Novis and Tanya Taylor. For menswear they are Cadet, David Hart, Lucio Castro, SIKI IM and Thaddeus O'Neil.

The odds are good for the American nominees, since last year’s womenswear and menswear finalists M.Patmos and Public School went on to sweep the competition.

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