Peet Dullaert talks about the silhouette and innovative design concept for his merino wool pre-shaped knitwear suit created for the International Woolmark Prize for womenswear 16/17. 

IWP is one of the world’s most coveted awards in the fashion industry, last year former Saint Laurent creative director Hedi Slimane and Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld walked away with the award.

The IWP awards, first held in 1953, celebrates global fashion talents who showcase the beauty and versatility of Australia’s preeminent natural fiber- merino wool.

What was the silhouette and design concept behind the IWP collection? 
“The IWP concept continues my focus on fashion as a means to highlight individuality. Adhering to my belief of working closely in synergy with the body, the developed look reflects the freedom of movement I consider so essential.

What was the inspiration for the color palette and design aesthetic?
The harmony aspects of ‘Zen-gardens’ have always fascinated me and continue to inspire my creations, while being a beautiful metaphor to enhance the need for balance in our world.

How did Australia’s merino wool factor into your design plan? And what exactly is the “pre-shap” knit technique?

While reflecting on the concepts direction, I found the similarities between Zen-gardens and pure wool yarns highly inspiring. Their twist, flow and natural purity translated into a distilled abstract landscape, in motion by natural movement. Wool in pure form was the base for me to work from.

This inspiration led to the development of a uniquely designed pre-shape knit technique, to create an almost seamless body shaped Merino wool “Zen-line” knit suit. This look is developed in collaboration with Knitwear Lab and Biella Yarns by Südwolle, member of the Suedwolle Group, the world’s market leader for worsted spun pure Wool yarns.”

Peet Dulleart stores can be found in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and online.