In the most technical sense, Cottweiler is not a new brand. The label's founders and designers, Matthew Dainty and Ben Cottrell, met more than a decade ago while they were both studying fashion at university in England. They became fast friends and, after graduation, kept the band together. Which is a good thing, because it gave their nascent label Cottweiler—more a concept than an actual brand at the time–room to grow slowly while the two got to know the ropes from designers like Louis Vuitton's Kim Jones (while working on his collab with Umbro) and Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng.

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Since then, the brand has come into its own, using high-end construction and specialized performance fabrics to channel a sort of grown-up streetwear vibe informed by logo-heavy sportswear but pared-down to an unadorned, modern riff on luxury. The aesthetic has helped the label amass fans and collaborators of the ultra-hip, British variety (Skepta, FKA Twigs), and slowly expanded its influence, showing at London Collections: Men and getting shortlisted for the LVMH Prize in 2016.

But 2017 is looking to be the year that Dainty and Cottrell really makes a splash around the world, thanks in part to winning the 2016/2017 International Woolmark Prize. They were selected from a group of six designers (including New York's Rochambeau) by a panel of judges including Business of Fashion founder Imran Amed, Hood by Air's Shayne Oliver, and Ssense co-founder Rami Atallah, who cited the "clarity of their vision and cohesiveness of their offering" as the reason for Cottweiler's victory.

"The IWP is a great initiative that gives emerging designers the chance to be profiled on a global stage," explains Stuart McCullough, CEO of Australian Wool Innovation and Managing Director of The Woolmark Company. Aside from prize money (AU$100,000), the award comes with mentorship, a deep set of industry connections, and a chance to sell to a whole new group of stores and customers. "[Cottweiler] are poised to take the next step in their career and their skill and knowledge for fabrication will make them wonderful ambassadors for the fiber."

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Cottweiler\'s sketches for the International Woolmark Prize.

Dainty and Cottrell, who bonded a waterproof fabric to a Merino jersey "to combine the functions of the natural and man-made" in their winning assortment of looks, are ready for the challenge. "We have been very careful about how fast the brand grows," the duo told us in an email, explaining that they've been ramping up their logistical capabilities. "You only really get one shot when it comes to selling to the best stores in the world, so you need to be fully prepared."

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As for what's next, we can expect the duo to keep pushing their sport-meets-street version of modern elegance even further—and possibly change things up a bit. "We have always been interested in fabrics that have technical qualities but with a classic appearance," they explain, noting that Merino is as advanced (if not more) as the synthetics they've used until this point.

With the prize money, aside from building the business side of the operation, Dainty and Cottrell plan to create their own materials: "This is something we have always loved to do, but can be quite difficult for a small brand." Maybe not so small anymore—at least not for long.

From: Esquire US