Antwerp graduation award is put into practice - Südwolle Group invites young designers for collaborative workshops

The Woolmark Company and Südwolle Group jointly sponsored 10 Masters and Bachelor students for this year’s Graduation show of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in June. Using a selection of the company’s Merino wool yarns, the designers, Linus Leonardsson and Sam Slegers, were rewarded for the most creative approach in their show-collection and the best application of Merino.

Leonardsson and Slegers were hosted in Germany and spent a day in Su?dwolle Group’s headquarters learning about spinning technologies, Merino insights and possible applications. The two designers then visited knitting manufacturer Peterseim Strickwaren in Thuringia (Germany) to work on three new designs, accompanied by fashion designer Karim Guest.

Südwolle Group continues to invest in education with an aim of introducing students and young professionals to Merino wool as a versatile, natural fibre that is simultaneously functional, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing. In addition, the project goes in line with the yarn manufacturer’s approach to foster collaboration along the textile supply chain:

“Of course, we are happy to share our expertise about Merino wool, spinning technologies, yarn features and business experience, to enable these young designers and to ease their entry into a professional career. Apart from that, we also learn from these creative minds. For us, as a yarn producer, it’s very fascinating to accompany Linus and Sam during the entire process of designing a new garment. We get inspired by new ideas and we think it is valuable to our company and industry to understand the needs of our future customers”, says Ibrahim Sönmez, Area Sales Manager at Südwolle Group and project lead of the cooperation.

“We’d like to promote and connect wool with young talents. Beyond that, we see ourselves not just as a yarn supplier, but as a partner enhancing relationships along the textile supply chain with a strong network. We can only develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the future, if we work together, learn from each other and build synergies.”