National Wool Museum celebrates innovation with winners of Sustainable Fashion Prize 2025

Designer of the Year has been awarded to UNBOUND by SHIYO, created by Shiva Yousefpour. This $10,000 acquisitive prize highlights outstanding design with a commitment to sustainability.

Pivot City Punk by Isobel Hyland received the Mayoral Award, and Coastal Country by Sherry Johnstone was selected for the ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres Innovation Mentorship, Deakin Institute for Frontier Materials.

National Wool Museum Senior Curator, Josephine Rout said the prize reflects the Museum’s commitment to fostering creativity, innovation, and sustainability in contemporary fashion. “These designers are not only redefining style—they are helping transform the fashion industry into a force for good.”

Winners were selected by a renowned judging panel:

• Shonae Hobson, Independent Curator and Arts Consultant
• Circe Henestrosa, Head, School of Fashion, LASALLE College of the Arts, University of the Arts Singapore
• Sai-Wai Foo, Visual Artist and Programming & Events Executive, PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival

Voting is now open for the UNESCO City of Design People’s Choice Award, offering a $2,000 prize to the designer who captures the public’s vote.

About the prize
Now in its third edition, the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize is a biennial initiative of the National Wool Museum in Geelong, Australia’s first and only UNESCO City of Design. The Prize supports emerging designers who explore sustainability through innovative design, material use and production practices.

It aims to inspire critical dialogue about the future of fashion and amplify the work of creators who are making meaningful change.  This year’s competition attracted over 150 entries from 13 countries and from every state and territory across Australia — including 10 from the Geelong region, cementing the city’s growing status as a global hub for sustainable design.

About Geelong – UNESCO City of Design
Geelong was designated a UNESCO City of Design in 2017, joining a global network of cities committed to using creativity and design as a strategic tool for sustainable urban development. As a former centre of manufacturing and textiles, Geelong continues to champion innovation through design across industry, education and community. The We the Makers initiative is a key example of how design is being used to shape a more sustainable and inclusive future.

All 2025 finalists are featured in the We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize 2025 exhibition, on display at the National Wool Museum until 30 November 2025.

The Sustainable Fashion Prize is a powerful example of how Geelong is building on its rich textile legacy while embracing the future of sustainable design.  As a UNESCO City of Design, we are proud to support this important program that connects our City’s historic roots in textile manufacturing with a new wave of global innovation. This prize is a celebration of creativity, sustainability, and our ongoing commitment to shaping a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM

We the Makers celebrates the bold vision and ingenuity of emerging designers who are reimagining fashion for a more sustainable future. This prize not only recognises creative excellence but also champions the urgent shift toward ethical, slow, and circular fashion. The winning design will be acquired into the Museum’s permanent collection, preserving a piece of this transformative movement for generations to come. The National Wool Museum is proud to provide a global platform for designers who are not just making clothes — they’re shaping the future of the industry. Padraic Fisher, National Wool Museum Director

Media Contact: Andrea Cross, [email protected] 03 52724878/ 0468 572 889 | Interviews by arrangement: Senior Curator, Josephine Rout and Award Winners.