Pearl Academy bags runner-up positions at the Wool Runway Competition

Chandigarh, 05th January, 2017: Two students from Pearl Academy,India’s leading institution in design, fashion and creative business won laurels at the ‘Wool Runway’, design competition. Student Kavya Doultani and Apoorva Wadhwa have bagged second and third positions in the competition organized by The Woolmark Company, a global authority on wool. Participants were required to create a wool look that displays their ability as a fashion designer for the competition.

With Australian wool as the muse, each garment was required to constitute at least 80 per cent wool. Each outfit was to be accompanied by a design documentation including a mood board, creative statement, design illustration and a technical sketch.Students from leading fashion and design schools in India took part in the competition.

Design Concept Note: Kavya Doultani

The silhouettes derived from architecture combined with the natural resources like merino wool and old traditional technique of hand weaving will counterbalance the old and the modern. This project will in turn help create awareness about useful and sustainable properties of pure wool (biodegradable, renewable, protection from UV light, absorbing odor) and revive the old technique of tapestry hand weaving.

On being adjudged as the first runner up of the competition, Kavya Doultanifrom Pearl Academy said "I am thrilled. It felt great for being appreciated by the jury panel and the Woolmark company members. The whole experience was a great learning and has helped me grow as a designer. This is my first step into the professional design industry. I hope to do as good in future too.”

Design Concept Note: Apporva Wadhwa

“I had felt. I still feel”. As I look for a new beginning, this garment is an extension of me. I explore and challenge myself with the aspects of wool and the fibrous woolyarns. Using the needle felting technique I interlock the wool yarns in faded thoughts and emotions which are hand dyed. This graded palette has a classic but contemporary feel, with colors that feel familiar yet fresh. These yarns are an expression of my emotions/thoughts that I felt throughout my life. This outfit brings out a natural and organic feel.

The jury for the competition included the likes of Sudhanshu Pokhriyal, President, Raymond Limited; John Roberts, General Manager – Eastern Hemisphere, The Woolmark Company, Karunesh Vohra, Creative Director, Louis Philippe and Simon Carter, Kapil Batus, Founder and Creative Director, WhiteBoard and Designer - Payal Khandwala.

Expressing his views, Maurizio Grioli, Area Head -Fashion Styling & Textile- Pearl Academy said,"I am pleased to see that our studentefforts to conceptualize and create something unique, innovative yet stylish with wool have paid off well. They have created something very commercial that any international client would love to have as a part of theirwardrobe. Thank you Woolmark for this amazing opportunity you have given the students".