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.
The UNESCO City of Design People’s Choice Award winner is 16O8 by Abha Gupta, celebrated for its bold approach to sustainable design. In addition, Corin Corcoran has been awarded the Australian Tapestry Workshop Residency for Sustain our Stains – FOR R.D.E., a project exploring textile innovation and environmental responsibility.
Sustainable Fashion 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.
Image: UNESCO City of Design People’s Choice Award Winner. Abha Gupta, 16O8
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.
We the Makers Sustainable Fashion Prize will return to Geelong in 2027.
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.Australian Tapestry Workshop Residency
During Corin Corcoran’s four-week residency at the Australian Tapestry Workshop (ATW), Corin set out to create a garment that reflects her commitment to sustainable design. Supported by ATW Head of Studio Beck Jobson, Corin worked closely with the studio’s weaving and dyeing resources to develop new materials for her collection.
Her exploration of natural dyes focused on indigo, and she participated in ATW’s introductory workshop on natural dyeing before dyeing fabric for garment construction. Working on looms prepared by Beck Jobson, Corin wove with salvaged sheet fabric and produced a series of distinctive woven pieces using wool felted and cotton fabrics, chenille, wool roving, and unconventional materials such as discarded headphone cabling and headphones.
By the conclusion of her residency on 28 November, Corin will have created a range of new woven materials for garment construction, gained skills in weaving and natural dyeing, and contributed to the creative life of the ATW studio.
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."
Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM
Geelong’s rich textile heritage is the foundation for a new era of innovation. The Sustainable Fashion Prize demonstrates how creativity and sustainability can work hand in hand to shape the future of fashion. As a UNESCO City of Design, we are proud to champion programs that connect our past with a bold, sustainable future.
National Wool Museum Director, Padraic Fisher
We the Makers is more than a competition—it’s a global platform for designers who are challenging the status quo and driving change. These winners represent the ingenuity and commitment needed to create a fashion industry that is ethical, circular, and inspiring. By acquiring these works into our collection, we are preserving a moment of transformation for generations to come.
Exhibition coming soon
Interwoven: Fibre Art and Fashion
14 February−12 July 2026
Presented in partnership with the Australian Tapestry Workshop, Interwoven: Fibre Art and Fashion celebrates makers working in all forms of fashion and textiles, including dress, jewellery, photography and fibre art. Connecting them all is their shared experience as artists in residence at the Australian Tapestry Workshop.
Media contact
Andrea Cross, [email protected] 03 52724878/ 0468 572 889 | Interviews by arrangement: Senior Curator, Josephine Rout and Award Winners.