TexSelect has announced the judges for The Woolmark Company’s prestigious award 2018, which will be judged and presented at Première Vision in Paris later this month.

The Woolmark Company TexSelect Award will be judged on 20 September at Première Vision Designs by Natasha Lenart, fabric and knitwear development manager at Victoria Beckham, and Eda Karadogan, international luxury fabrics manufacturer Ipekis.

The Woolmark Company has supported TexSelect since the charity was founded more than 40 years ago, and The Woolmark Company TexSelect Award was established in 2011. The award recognises design excellence in fabrics created with 60% or more Merino wool, whether presented as printed, woven, knitted and/or mixed media fabric.

The award will be presented at the TexSelect village. Other prizes being awarded are the Marks & Spencer TexSelect Fashion Fabric Award, The Worshipful Company of Woolmen TexSelect Design Innovation Award for Wool in Interiors, the WGSN TexSelect Textiles of the Future Award, and the TexSelect Prizes for Fashion, Interiors, Colour and Pattern.

“This is such a wonderful opportunity to encounter young designers with boundless creativity that hasn’t yet been influenced by the day-to-day of the working industry,” said Natasha Lenart.

The winner of The Woolmark Company TexSelect Award will receive £1,000, in addition to the ongoing support from The Woolmark Company and opportunities to learn about developments, innovations and the supply chain for wool. In addition, The Woolmark Company will sponsor a dedicated presence for the winner at Intertextile Shanghai September 27-29.

Every year, TexSelect selects 24 talented textile design graduates from UK design courses for its professional mentorship programme, displaying their work in London in July and then at Première Vision Paris and Intertextile Shanghai in September to promote their portfolios and help to launch their careers.

www.texselect.org.uk