International Woolmark Australian Regional Prize winner P.Johnson has invested in a factory in Italy to further the business' expansion.
The bespoke tailoring brand has been in operation for eight years, managing 30 staff in Australia across five showrooms in Melbourne, Sydney and New York.
The company's founder Patrick Johnson believes that the investment is a case of striking while the iron's hot.
“We've gone and invested in our own factory because of this expansion.
“In terms of the kind of work we do - bespoke suiting - there aren't really many workshops or factories that are set up for that.
“We'll be the first one in the world to actually do that so that's been really exciting for us.”
Johnson also said that awards such as the International Woolmark Prize could help drum up business in the US.
“It's time now for an Australian label to really, really make it internationally in a big way and it has happened in women's a little bit, you can argue it's happened in surf wear in the 80s and 90s, but we really feel that this is the time to grow stronger especially overseas and especially in the States.”
P.Johnson was awarded a $100,000 grant as part of the winnings.
Bianca Spender was the winning recipient for womenswear.