David Jones sure summer-loving Aussies will warm to wool Heavy-knit cocoon dresses and jackets of International Woolmark Prize-winning Christian Wijnants will appeal to Australian women, says David Jones. PRIZE-WINNING status will outshadow any notion of seasonality for the latest addition to David Jones' international collections. The retailer will see the International Woolmark Prize's winning collection, by Belgian designer Christian Wijnants, drop in store next week. The collection features heavy knitted cocoon dresses and jackets, but Donna Player, David Jones group executive merchandise, said the buy included lighter-weight pieces "appropriate for our climate." Player says even Wijnants' seemingly more challenging pieces will find a place in the wardrobes of discerning Australian women. "I think we have very sophisticated customers in our CBD stores," says Player. Because he's the winner of the International Woolmark Prize there will be people who want to invest in those pieces. Clearly it's not for everybody, but it is extraordinary. Wijnants took out the IWP, an initiative of Australia's Woolmark Company, from a field of regional designers, including Australia's Dion Lee and Sophie Theallet from the US, in February. The prize package included $100,000 and accounts with some of the world's leading department stores and boutiques, including David Jones, Harvey Nichols in Britain, 10 Corso Como in Milan and Bergdorf Goodman in the US. "The international recognition . . . of the brand increased a lot, people all over the world got to hear about the prize, even people with nothing to do with fashion," Wijnants said from Antwerp this week. That helped a lot with sales . . . and of course in a direct way being able to sell the collection to those great retailers like David Jones in Australia, Harvey Nichols and Bergdorfs. For customers new to his work, Wijnants hopes they see it as "something fresh, poetic and feminine," citing his love of natural fibres and organic shapes. "I love to work in a way that the girls and women who wear my clothes don't seem to make too much effort, it seems very natural," he said. While the David Jones account is part of the prize, Player adds that the buy isn't a one-off for the retailer, expecting Wijnants "to be part of our stable for some time." The 2013-14 IWP winner will be announced in Milan in February, with five regional finalists including Australia's Christopher Esber.