Iranian trio The Emperor 1688 wins regional final of the Woolmark Prize

For the first time in the event’s history, a Middle Eastern fashion label has won the regional final of the highly coveted Woolmark Prize.

Iranian trio The Emperor 1688 walked away with the top prize in the regional menswear finals this weekend in Mumbai. The label, which is the brainchild of three brothers - Haman, Babak and Farhan Golkar – will now go on to compete in the international finals by showcasing at London Collections: Men in January 2015.

Based in Dubai, The Emperor 1688 has made a name for itself as one of the most sought-after luxury menswear labels in the region and beyond. The British-Iranian brothers have dressed everyone from VIPs and celebrities, including UAE comedian Wonho Chung.

Fashion Forward – Dubai’s answer to Fashion Week – was the official nominating body for the Middle East and India and put forward The Emperor 1688 in April, following their show.

See our interview with the brothers here:

“The Emperor 1688 are a shining example of the calibre of design talent we have in the Middle East,” said Bong Guerrero, founder and CEO of Fashion Forward. “The Golkar brothers have consistently pushed the boundaries and produced outstanding collection after outstanding collection and we are incredibly proud to have them on our roster of designers for Fashion Forward, and also to have been able to nominate them for this most coveted prize, of which they fully deserve.”

For the regional finals of the Woolmark Prize, The Emperor 1688 had to present the sketches of a Merino wool capsule collection comprising six outfits, and one fully produced outfit to present to the judging panel.

Following their win, Haman said: “Winning the first Woolmark Prize menswear regional award and the opportunity to show our collection in London at the final is an exciting challenge and dream come true for our brand.”