• Emerging professional designers working in sustainable fashion with less than ten years industry experience.
• Entrants can be based anywhere in the world.
• There are no age restrictions.

• Each entrant is required to enter one complete outfit that represents their design aesthetic. 
• Entries will be judged on their ability to design and redefine sustainable and ethical textiles. Your entry may respond to one or more of the of the following categories: Material Innovation, Circular Process Innovation, Design Innovation, Business Innovation.

• All entries must be available to be showcased at the National Wool Museum for the entirety of the We the Makers exhibition, 1 June to 29 October 2023. 
• The top twenty entries will be selected and invited to take part in the exhibition.  
• No items will be for sale.
• Designers are responsible for transport of garments to the National Wool Museum. The National Wool Museum will cover the postage for the return of items. 
• The winning design will be acquired by the National Wool Museum for their permanent collection.

All entries to the Sustainable Fashion Prize go in the running to win the following major prizes chosen by an international industry panel of expert judges.

• National Wool Museum Designer of the Year Award ($10,000)

• UNESCO City of Design, People’s Choice Award ($2,000)

1. Make Submit one complete outfit made using sustainable materials and methods that best expresses your design aesthetic. 
2. Document Include a short video (up to 60 seconds) and three high-resolution “work in progress” images.
3. Enter Complete the entry form and submit it online along with the requested supporting materials, including images, videos and descriptions. 
4. Wait First round judging will take place to select the top twenty entries that will go in the running for cash prizes. 
5. Send Upon hearing that your entry has been shortlisted, either send or deliver your entry to the National Wool Museum.

Celebrate Come to the We the Makers launch on 1 June 2023 to see if you are named Designer of the Year.

Entries Open: 22 February 2023
Entries Close: 16 April 2023
Top Twenty Entrants Notified: 25 April 2023
Final Date for Delivery of Items: 15 May 2023
Exhibition Opening & Awards: 1 June 2023
Exhibition Close: 29 October 2023

There are no entry fees for the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize. However, all entries must be available to be exhibited at the National Wool Museum for the entire duration of the We the Makers exhibition – 1 June to 29 October 2023. All entrants must cover the cost of postage to the National Wool Museum for the exhibition. The National Wool Museum will cover the postage for the return of items.

Eligibility

For We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize, an Emerging Designer is defined as any professional designer/artist with up to ten years industry experience and dedication to work with wool, fibre or textiles to create something entirely unique. 

All entries must be an original work – a complete outfit – and all entries will be judged on their ability to design and redefine sustainable and ethical textiles. Your entry may respond to one or more of the of the following categories: Material Innovation, Circular Process Innovation, Design Innovation, Business Innovation.

All entries must be available for display in the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize exhibition held at the National Wool Museum from 1 June to 29 October 2023. 

The Top 20 entries will be selected by an expert panel of judges and showcased in the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize exhibition. All selected entries must be made available to the National Wool Museum. Please note, the National Wool Museum reserves the right to include more than 20 entries in the prize and exhibition if it chooses to, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the selection of these Top 20 entries. 

The National Wool Museum also reserves the right to exhibit the outfit in the manner of its choosing – however, designers may choose to provide advice on how best to exhibit the outfit, upon application.

Items can be made from any materials and using any techniques and processes. However, keep in mind the core theme of the prize, (sustainable fashion) and choose your materials, techniques and processes accordingly.

To be eligible for an award, the outfit must have been designed and made by an individual who is registered as the entrant. Group entries where more than one person has contributed to an item are also acceptable. Details of all members of the group must be included with the entry and only one award per group entry will be given.

As the Festival is free to enter, each designer or group of designers can only enter one outfit. 

No National Wool Museum employees or their direct family members are eligible to enter. No judge or their direct family members are eligible to enter.

Period of loan

The Entry Form is a binding loan agreement between the entrant and the National Wool Museum for the purpose of display, handling of entered item or items as part of We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize.

The period of the loan covers the time in which the National Wool Museum is in possession of the item or items entered during the dates of the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2023.

The winner will receive $10, 000 and the National Wool Museum will retain the entered outfit as an acquisition for their permanent collection.

Damage, theft or loss

The National Wool Museum will maintain adequate insurance against the loss, damage or destruction of the item or items entered in We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize while the item or items are in the possession of the National Wool Museum.

If an item is damaged, stolen or lost while in the possession of the National Wool Museum, the National Wool Museum is liable to pay the entrant the value price as stated on the Entry Form.

The National Wool Museum takes no responsibility for any items lost or damaged in the post.

Delivery of Items

The entrant is responsible for arranging the delivery of items entered into the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize. The National Wool Museum will coordinate the return of items. Any items unable to be returned to their owners will remain the property of the National Wool Museum.

Retail price and display

No items will be for sale. By entering, the designer agrees that the display and curation of the Sustainable Fashion Prize exhibition rests entirely with the National Wool Museum. Entries will be displayed in an “exhibition” format in one of the galleries of the National Wool Museum. 

Marketing and promotion of designs and designers

The National Wool Museum reserves the right to photograph and video entrant’s items and use these images/video for marketing, media and promotional purposes of the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize. The Museum may also use the artists’ statements provided by the entrants for promotional purposes in the media. Top 20 finalists may be required to participate in media duties (including photoshoots, interviews etc).

Disputes

Should any dispute arise concerning any matter relating to an entry in the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize, it shall be referred for arbitration, with one arbitrator appointed by each party. In the event of the arbitrators disagreeing, the dispute will be referred to an umpire mutually appointed by the arbitrators. During the arbitration process, no further action or suit will be brought on by any party until an award has first been obtained by the arbitrators or umpire.

Copyright and Moral Rights

All entrants will retain copyright in their work.

The National Wool Museum will credit the winning designer whenever their work is used.

The National Wool Museum will not make any major changes to the winning design without the winner’s consent. The museum may make minor changes and will consult with the winner about any reproductions of the winning artwork on promotional items and provide samples for the winner’s approval.

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)

The National Wool Museum will not display or use any artwork in a context that might be considered by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community to be inappropriate, derogatory, degrading or offensive.

When displaying or using the winning design, the National Wool Museum will make an attribution in respect of Indigenous Cultural or Intellectual Property in artworks as required by the entrant.

The National Wool Museum acknowledges in the event of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist’s death, the subsequent use of their likeness may be culturally inappropriate, and that, upon notification of the artist’s death we agree to remove the artwork from any promotional material or publication under its control if requested by a member of the artist’s family or representative to the extent reasonably practical