Cassi van den Dungen makes her move

stephen ward via dion lee's facebook

Cassi van den Dungen fans will no doubt be thrilled to hear that the next instalment of the Cassi saga is.... she just made her international runway debut at London Fashion Week, walking for Australian fashion star Dion Lee in the International Woolmark Prize show overnight. Lee lost out to Belgium's Christian Wijnants, but the whole exercise was a fantastic promotional opportunity for Lee and all the other contestants, not to mention van den Dungen, who strutted her stuff in front of a prestigious judging panel headed up by no less than Diane von Furstenberg, Donatella Versace and Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani. 

Christian Wijnants wins the International Woolmark Prize

hugh stewart/australian wool innovation

Congratulations are due to Belgium's Christian Wijnants, who has just been awarded the International Woolmark Prize in London. Competing against finalists from five other countries - Dion Lee, Sophie Theallet, DressedUndressed, Pankaj& Nidhi and Ban Xiao Xue - Wijnants was awarded the AUD 100,000 grand prize by a prestigious judging panel that included Diane von Furstenberg, Donatella Versace, Victoria Beckham and Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani. Wijnants' Australian merino capsule collection will now head into production and be stocked by international retailers including Bergdorf Goodman in New York, London's Harvey Nichols, Milan's 10 Corso Como, China's Joyce, Germany's Eickoff and Australia's David Jones.  

Richard Nicoll to launch his own eyewear line

ksubi x richard nicoll SS08/hintmag

Over the past five years, London-based, Aussie-raised fashion star Richard Nicoll whet the appetite of the sunglasses-buying public with two tantalising, limited edition eyewear ranges designed in tandem with his mates at cult Sydney denim and streetwear brand Ksubi - most recently for Spring/Summer 2012. Earlier this week in Sydney, he told frockwriter he is about to launch his own line.