The sudden drop in temperature on Tuesday night made for a perfect opening evening at Pier 1&2 for the Wool Modern Exhibition – A Celebration of Wool in the 21st Century. Designed to showcase the very best in fashion design with the use of wool, the exhibition presented a variety of garments made by internationally acclaimed designers, as well as our home-grown Aussie talent.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Opening the exhibition, Nicholas Coleridge, the Vice Chairman for The Campaign for Wool, said that the aim of the exhibit was to remind individuals, worldwide, that “wool is the fibre of choice for the most exciting and cutting edge designers and decorators” and it is his hope, that this exhibition will inspire the next generation of emerging designer talent to further explore the potential of the woolen fibre in their works.

The curator of Wool Modern, Charlotte Lurot, also spoke at the opening, elating how thrilled she was to have been asked to curate such a spectacular exhibition. Showcasing outstanding works from some of the world’s most noted and innovative talents, a variety of disciplines including fashion, interior and conceptual design were on show.

And boy, was she right!

From beautifully sculpted woven works to intricately knitted pieces, structured and tailored garments to luxurious drape work and extraordinary embellishment, the exhibition really captivated the creative audience of the night.

Amongst a slew of many Australian and international designers, we were fortunate enough to snap up some photos with some of our favourite Aussie designers – Camilla and Marc, Josh Goot and Jenny Kee, posing alongside their works on exhibit. But really, ALL of our beloved Aussies did us proud as they stayed true to their individual style and aesthetic and most definitely held their own in a room filled with an abundance of talent.

The international works were also exquisite, showing the public exactly why the creative talents behind many of the most well known designers of the fashion world are simply exceptional at their craft. A beautifully draped asymmetric style dress, by the late Alexander McQueen was featured as part of the exhibition, as well as the extraordinary talent by world renowned designers Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver for the Lanvin works on display.

The entire exhibition is truly a (wooly!) work of art – beautifully presented with strikingly conceptual works. The warehouse area at Pier 1&2 exemplified the artistic grandeur of the works and aided in constructing an interactive space where the audience felt a part of the work on display.

As Dame Vivienne Westwood once said: “If silk is the queen, cotton the aunt and linen the uncle, then wool is the king”.

And I’d say, that this exhibition is definitely worth a trip to the castle!

Wool Modern – A Celebration of Wool in the 21st Century is showing at Pier 1&2 in Sydney until May 1st and will then relocate to the Queen Victoria Building, George Street, Sydney, from May 3rd until June 2012.

Words by Rebecca Glaser Photos by Hayley Hughes