CNMI SUSTAINABLE FASHION AWARDS 2023
Milan Fashion Week wrapped up on September 24th with the sixth edition of the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards that took place at Teatro La Scala. The event was organized by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and the Ethical Fashion Initiative in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Hosted by CNMI Chairman, Carlo Capasa, the awards were given to brands and personalities who have distinguished themselves for their commitment to sustainability: vision, innovation, commitment to craftsmanship, inclusivity, circular economy, human rights and environmental justice.
An Advisory Board consisting of 25 national and international non-profit associations and organisations committed to topics related to sustainable fashion made the first selection of the nominations for the awards. More than 150 nominations were received, analysed and elaborated by a technical committee which assigned a score based on the Ethical Fashion Initiative’s evaluation grid.
The Jury:
- Andre Morlet – Chair of the Jury CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards, CEO, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
- Carlo Capasa – Chairman, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana
- Simone Cipriani – Head and Founder, Ethical Fashion Initiative and Chairperson, UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion
- Roberta Annan – Managing Partner, Impact Fund for African Creatives & Annan Capital Partners
- Teneshia Carr – CEO, Blanc Media Inc. and Editor in Chief of Blanc Magazine
- Paola Deda – Director – Forests, Land and Housing Division, United Nations
- Kerry Kennedy – President, Robert F.Kennedy Human Rights
- Federica Marchionni – CEO, Global Fashion Agenda
- Samata Pattinson – Cultural Sustainability Pioneer, Writer and Producer
- Michelangelo Pistoletto – Artist
- Teddy Quinlivan – Model and Activist
Simone Cipriani and EFI long-term partner Jeanne de Kroons, founder of Zazi Vintage, delivered a keynote address to the audience highlighting how the sustainability awards show a process of long-term value creation that is reshaping the purpose and governance of the business of fashion, and urging industry leaders to take these interesting examples into mainstream practice.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
The Biodiversity and Water Award
This Award celebrates the organisations that recognise both the importance of biodiversity and water and the pressures they are under, and are taking active steps to protect, restore, and regenerate these natural systems in the way they conduct business.
Shortlisted: Ogre (Fishing for Litter) and Reformation (Business model for biodiversity)
Winner: Kering – Regenerative & Climate Fund for Nature
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation Award for Circular Economy
This award recognises the efforts of brands, suppliers, and enabling platforms who are working to make the circular economy a reality. Special consideration has been given to candidates that put circular economy principles – eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials at their highest value, and regenerating nature – alongside circular design thinking at the core of their operations and value propositions.
Shortlisted: ACS (B2B Circular Solutions) and Chloé (Vertical and Circular Design)
Winner: Gucci – Circular Hub’s Denim Project
The Climate Action Award
The Climate Action Award is dedicated to fashion brands, suppliers, and organisations that have developed solutions to significantly reduce the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Science-Based Targets Initiative’s Apparel and Footwear Sector Guidance, fashion-related raw materials extraction and production processes generally account for more than 50% of lifecycle emissions. Therefore, special consideration has been given to candidates that are lowering their emissions by keeping products and materials in circulation.
Shortlisted: Material library of India (Textile recovery facility for the community) and Rewewcell (Circulose)
Winner: Manteco – A wool-focused sustainable economy
The Craft and Italian Artisanship Award
The Award nominees have been selected by paying particular attention to the active work they do to recover existing materials and inject new life to decades-old manufacturing techniques, as well as to their commitment to preserve the heritage and exquisite craftsmanship of Made in Italy. Through this stimulating dialogue between tradition and innovation, the fashion system provides employment opportunities, as well as cultural empowerment and development.
Shortlisted: Pomellatto (Casa Pomellato) and TOD’S (Italian manufacturing heritage & Bottega dei Mestieri Academy)
Winner: Dolce&Gabbana – Sartorial craftsmanship & Grand Tour of Italy
The Education of Excellence Award
With this Award, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana spotlights organisations working hard to equip and empower fashion workers with technical know-how – unlocking their talents, fostering their education, and ensuring a bright future for Made in Italy.
Shortlisted: Santoni (Accademia dell’Eccellenza) and Staff International (Scuola dei Mestieri)
Winner: Valentino – Nurturing talents
The Bicester Collection Award for Emerging Designers
The Bicester Collection Award for Emerging Designer Award intends to recognise the work of individuals who craft innovative solutions, striking a balance between the traditional elements of the fashion heritage and forward-thinking approaches that have sustainability at the core of their value proposition.
Shortlisted: Made for A Woman by Eileen Akbaraly and SO-LE STUDIO by Maria Sole Ferragamo
Winner: Ahluwalia by Priya Ahluwalia
The Groundbreaker Award
The Groundbreaker Award recognises innovative and out-of-the-box solutions which mitigate the environmental and social impacts of today’s fashion industry. Awareness of the systemic issues within the industry has grown in recent years, and so has the investment in research and development to tackle these.
Shortlisted: Birla Cellulose (Nullarbor) and Resortecs (Smart Stitch & Smart Disassembly)
Winner: Candiani – Coreva
The Human Capital and Social Impact Award
This Award aims to recognise fashion actors who take significant positive action to address, tackle, and potentially solve social injustice. It gives visibility to those who focus on human development, reducing poverty, and creating more inclusive societies through their strategic choices, deliberate efforts, and operations.
Shortlisted: Makers Unite (Social enterprise for refugees) and Sense-Ational You (Aesthetics for neurodiverse children)
Winner: Chloé – Fair Trade Luxury
The Humanitarian Award for Equity and Inclusivity
This Award aims to recognize fashion actors who take significant positive action to address, tackle and potentially solve social injustice. It gives visibility to those who focus on human development, reducing poverty and creating more inclusive societies through their strategic choices, deliberate efforts and operations.
Winner: Donatella Versace
The Visionary Award
The Visionary Award recognises forward-thinking, creative, and innovative individuals transforming the fashion system from within. By celebrating the work of these visionary talents, the fashion industry can capture these sources of inspiration for the next generation of designers and managers.
Winner: Edward Enninful
“The awards highlight the critical importance of social sustainability and the need to decouple value creation from resource extraction to support our interconnected globalized world. They emphasize the pursuit of progressive social purposes and a development model that operates within the boundaries of our planet.”
Simone Cipriani’s message on the awards
