FKA twigs fronts film as Woolmark Prize finalists' creations are revealed

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Apr 12, 2022

The Woolmark Company is pulling out all the stops to support this year’s International Woolmark Prize with the latest news being a collab with FKA twigs and the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum.

It’s all been done to present the final International Woolmark Prize collection looks from Ahluwalia, Egonlab, Jordan Dalah, Mmusomaxwell, Peter Do, Rui and Saul Nash. 

In honour of the seven finalists, FKA twigs has directed and is starring in Playscape, a short film celebrating the art of play. 

The film was creatively directed by Zak Group with choreography by Juliano Nunes. It also includes an immersive showroom and special partnership with the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum. 

Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) was one of the 20th century’s most critically acclaimed sculptors. He designed several ‘playscapes’ where the public could directly interact with sculptures in ways typically not possible in a museum. 

FKA twigs was inspired by Noguchi’s vision of play as a creative catalyst, merging influences from fashion, art, dance, and music. 

The film opens with an empty gallery of Noguchi’s play sculptures, which becomes populated by a diverse ensemble cast of characters. In the second part of the film the cast enters an imaginary landscape, where ballet is combined with elements drawn from hip-hop, modernism, contemporary dance and punk aesthetics. 

Guest appearances include creative, activist and model Kai-Isaiah Jamal, DJ and dancer Kiddy Smile, along with DJ and artist Princess Julia. 

It's undeniably an interesting way to convey the creativity that's behind the prize, which will culminate in the winners being announced during a live event in London on April 26.

They were judged by a jury that includes Burberry creative chief Ricardo Tisci, model and businesswoman Naomi Campbell, Byredo founder Ben Gotham, Hermès women’s RTW artistic director Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, Alaïa’s creative chief Pieter Mulier, Carine Roitfeld and others.