Get to know past winners of the Woolmark Performance Challenge, a selection of rising innovators from a global pool of talent. Get inspired and explore their innovations that push the boundaries of Merino wool in performance wear.
2023
Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea
Joon Han
Winner: Prada Style Department Internship
Joon’s Merino-Marine Tex fabric combines the natural benefits of Merino wool blended with naturally sourced fibres from marine waste. Using nanotechnology and a unique dual-mesh structure, Merino-Marine Tex uses a comprehensive process from the filament spinning stage through to the nano-finishing and fabric structure.
University of Oregon, US
Daniel Carhuff
Winner: Research Bursary
Daniel developed VVULCAN, a family of composite rubber materials blended with Merino wool. VVULCAN eliminates virgin rubber, plastic and neoprene usage, by harnessing Merino wool/rubber blends to create shoe outsoles with greater grip in wet conditions.
Following the Woolmark Performance Challenge, Daniel has worked as a contracted footwear designer and joined the Futuresole Institute as Footwear Innovation Designer in Residence to design and lead the creation of innovative footwear, focusing on sustainability, performance and cutting-edge manufacturing techniques.
“The Woolmark Performance Challenge immensely impacted me both directly from opportunities with the competition exposure and funding, and indirectly with the connections I made travelling to Europe. Especially valuable and incredible was the opportunity to meet both the key design and innovation decision makers at Prada and two of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli athletes.” – Daniel Carhuff, 2023 Woolmark Performance Challenge.
2022
Michael Orlow
University of Oregon, USA
Winner: Salomon Internship
Michael presented a solution for athletes across a broad scope of environments. Michael’s KERADAPT innovation uses Merino wool waste blended with cellulose in 3D printed waterproof garments from organic tissue. KERADAPT performance wear supports athletes in challenging weather and conditions with a seamless wholegarment print based on body scans and mapped for environmental and physical stress.
Since his participation in the Woolmark Performance Challenge, Michael continues to develop his interest in hybrid casual/performance apparel with natural fibres. Currently, Michael works as an innovation prototyping and sample-making lab manager at a university.
Giulia Ciola
Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Italy
Winner: Research Bursary
Beneficial to both nature and the human body, Giulia’s innovation – Garments Birthed By Nature – celebrates the lifecycle of garments that live, perish and decompose, reflecting the cycle of nature. Giulia’s innovation uses Merino wool and biomaterials in a functional, unisex, biological and biodegradable uniform for trail runners of the near future.
Chloe Jerolaman
University of Cincinnati, USA
Winner: Adaptable Innovation Award
Chloe's Woolmark Performance Challenge concept, developed for athletes with prosthetics, focused on creating garments that help the body move naturally and prevent injury from asymmetrical gait patterns. Her adaptive design mimics the compression benefits of kinesiology tape, while also harnessing the unique advantages of Merino wool blends.
Following the Woolmark Performance Challenge and her graduation from her Bachelor of Fashion Design, Chloe continues to work with Merino wool at a yarn studio where she hand dyes, winds and distributes yarns.
“I’m now working for a local yarn studio – we’ve begun to experiment using natural dyes using the wool yarns. The Woolmark Performance Challenge has opened up many doors for me in my professional career and has changed my perspective in design. I am much more conscious of the material selections I make in my projects and always look for ways to share the knowledge.” – Chloe Jerolaman, 2022 Woolmark Performance Challenge.
2021
Caroline Schinle
Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, Germany
Winner: Internship with On
Caroline designed a new wool filling technology for padded jackets, creating thermal insulation without the use of traditional down. The padding was achieved through the use of a pom-pom structure to support a milkweed fibre filling.
Francesco Matera
IED Milano, Italy
Winner: SALWVA Research Bursary
Francesco concepted a garment to act like a second skin to enhance athletic performance and adapt to the body in motion. Initially designed for running, Francesco’s design uses strategically placed zones of high compression using elastane in seamless knitted garments resulting in 3D flexible fabrics with both insulation and cooling capability.
Harleen Kaur
Pearl Academy, India
Winner: SALWVA Research Bursary
Harleen’s design focused on pregnant and post-partum runners by blending sports science with maternity wear. Harleen designed to support the wearer’s body movement, providing a snug fit and tapping into the wool fibre’s thermoregulation capabilities while including a foetal heart rate monitor. The design used a 28-gauge seamless circular knit to create compression zones for support and a pocket for the foetal heart rate monitor.
Dan Winegar
University of Oregon, USA
Winner: SALWVA Internship
Dan’s concept centred on free movement and heat dissipation for skiing. Dan developed skiwear that adjusts insulation thickness and local articulation, mapping stretch to maintain comfort during and after exercise. This design mapped data of the physiological needs of users to generate smocking patterns for contouring, mobility and insulation, using wool in high-performance areas that traditionally use synthetics. This results in 3D flexible fabrics that can achieve both insulation and cooling.
2020
Bettina Blomstedt
Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Finland
Winner: Three-month paid internship with Woolmark
Bettina’s concept explores alternative ways to create sportswear performance by enhancing the natural existing properties of Merino wool.
Carly Conduff
University of Oregon, USA
Winner: Three-month paid internship with Helly Hansen
Carly created a system of performance apparel for female athletes, providing superior support, strategic insulation and light protection using 100% Merino wool.
Younghwan Kim
Kookmin University, South Korea
Winner: €10,000 Research Bursary
Youngghwan created a 100% natural and renewable material from Merino wool and Ottchil – a traditional Korean ingredient for waterproofing.
Now an Assistant Professor in Fashion & Design at Semyung University in Korea, Younghwan continues to develop his interest in Merino wool for footwear, knitting, weaving and fashion. Passing along his technical knowledge and passion for Merino wool ignited by his Woolmark Performance Challenge experience, Younghwan encourages a new generation of textiles students to explore Merino wool for artistic textiles in artwear and fibre theory.
“The experience I had preparing for the Woolmark Performance Challenge became a great asset to me, and I continued to research and teach students. As a result, I was appointed a professor at Semyung University. Now, I teach students to create artwear using Merino wool, develop textiles for artwear, and teach fibre theory.” – Younghwan Kim, 2020 Woolmark Performance Challenge Winner.
2019
Savannah College of Art and Design, USA
Hope Kemp-Hanson
Winner: Three-Month Internship with Adidas
Hope’s Woolmark Performance Challenge Design blended urban streetwear with skateboarding equipment, creating a line of hidden impact protection.
Institut Français de la Mode, France
Hyokyoung Lee
Winner: €10,000 Research Bursary
Hyokyoung designed an energy-generating Merino wool base-layer to monitor an athlete’s body status, allowing transmission of data and emergency SOS alerts.
2018
L’École de la Maille de Paris, France
Alicia Ferreira De Sousa
Winner: Inaugural Woolmark Performance Challenge
Alicia’s Woolmark Performance Challenge design explored Merino wool for aerobic gymnastics leotards, drawing on the wool fibre’s thermoregulation, odour resistance, softness and comfort.
