Beauty & Style | Thursday 18 June, 2015 11:51 am |

As the International Woolmark Prize enters its fourth year, the prestigious award, known for bringing emerging design to the world stage, heads to Dubai. The Woolmark Company together, with Vida Hotels and Resorts will host the annual Middle East, India, Pakistan Award on Wednesday July 22.

The event will shine the spotlight on the impressive growth of luxury retail in Dubai and the emergence of new designer talent from the United Arab Emirates and neighbouring countries. Eleven of the region’s most promising fashion designers have been put forward by the official nominating bodies for the Middle East, India and Pakistan: Dubai Design & Fashion Council (UAE), IMG Reliance (India), PFDC (Pakistan), and Starch Foundation (Lebanon).

Nominees will present sketches of six outfits highlighting the use of Merino wool to a panel of industry experts at the regional awards event. One full outfit from the capsule collection is to be produced. The winners will go on to the International Woolmark Prize finals held in Florence and New York in 2016.

The regional award will be judged by a panel of local and international experts including:
• Nez Gebreel, CEO, Dubai Design & Fashion Council
• Osman Yousefzada, Designer
• Bridget Cosgrave, Fashion and Buying Director, Boutique 1
• Louise Nichol, Editor-in- Chief of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia
• Melissa Grace, GM Marketing and Communications, The Woolmark Company
• Che Kurrien, Editor, GQ India
• Alison Tay, Editor-in-Chief, Grazia Middle East
India, Pakistan & Middle East nominees for the 2015/16 International Woolmark Prize are:
Womenswear:
• Akaaro, India
• Nachiket Barve, India
• Sania Maskatiya, Pakistan
• Taller Marmo, UAE
• Bleach, UAE
• Misha Lakhani, Pakistan
• Bashar Assaf, Lebanon
• Mira Hayek, Lebanon
Menswear:
• Republic, Pakistan
• Suket Dhir, India
• Thamanyah, UAE

Manzil Downtown Dubai, Vida’s renowned boutique hotel, will provide the location for the judging and regional finalist announcements, placing an audience of key industry and media attendees against a backdrop of contemporary arabesque design.



About The Woolmark Company:
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 recognised 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 25,000 woolgrowers that invests in research, development and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool.

About Vida Hotels and Resorts:
Vida Hotels and Resorts, another brand under Emaar Hospitality Group, is a refreshingly different hotel concept for the new generation of business executives, entrepreneurs and leisure travellers.
Vida, meaning ‘life’ in Spanish, embraces warmth, simplicity and youthful vitality. Billed as ‘an urban hub where inspiring minds stay, play and connect,’ Vida hotels create a stimulating environment for the younger generation who demands all the frills of modern luxury travel but none of the fuss.
Vida has two hotels in Dubai – Vida Downtown Dubai and Manzil Downtown Dubai – and will extend its service competencies to Vida Residence, The Hills and Vida Residence Downtown Dubai.
Marking its organic expansion in the UAE, Vida Hotels and Resorts has also signed an agreement to operate a lifestyle boutique hotel and serviced residences in Town Square, the flagship development of Nshama, a private developer of integrated lifestyle communities.
Going international, Vida Hotels and Resorts will operate Vida Marassi Al Bahrain and Vida Residences Marassi Al Bahrain through a management agreement.

For more information on the International Woolmark Prize go to www.woolmarkprize.com

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#woolmarkprize
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