cast your vote for the future of fashion

The Global Change Award asked the world for bold ideas to make change. And that is what we received. In these five winners I see innovation that can lead to the possible solutions for a sustainable fashion future.

Ms. Franca Sozzani
Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia

This week the H&M Conscious Foundation opened voting to the public on five finalists in the Global Change Awards. You can cast your vote until 7 February.

Over 2700 entries were received for the competition, and an expert panel* narrowed down to these finalists, all of whom demonstrate truly inspired thinking:

The Polyester Digester - using microbes to recycle waste polyester textile

100% Citrus - creating new textile out of citrus juice production byproducts

 

Making waste-cotton new - conversion of waste cotton into new textile

Growing Textile Fibre Underwater - using algae to make renewable textiles 

 An online market for textile leftovers - marketplace for industrial upcycling

Consider your vote carefully! The fancy 1 million euro prize will be distributed amongst the finalists depending on the popular vote. The website includes additional information on each of the above ideas to help you make your decision.

All finalists also receive mentorship with the H&M Conscious Foundation, Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm as part of a yearlong accelerator program to help get their ventures off the ground.

 

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The awards were created to inspire textile technology to help close the loop of fast fashion - in other words, recycling innovations to keep used clothing and textiles out of the landfill. 

And while the jury may still be out if so much attention should be placed on textile innovation in the face of excess fashion consumption in the fast fashion industry - including in my own mind - voting still closes on 7 February.

Head to the Global Change Award website to learn more about each of these incredible ideas and help reward these very clever textile innovators who may just be designing the future of fashion.

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*Expert panel members:

• Dr. Michael Braungart: Academic Chair “Cradle to Cradle for Innovation and Quality” at Erasmus University Rotterdam; Professor at Leuphana University Lüneburg; Scientific Director of EPEA Hamburg.
• Prof. Rebecca Earley: Professor in Sustainable Textile and Fashion Design at University of the Arts London and Director of its Textile Futures Research Centre.
• Mr. Ma Jun: Director, Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, China.
• Ms. Eva Kruse: CEO, Danish Fashion Institute; CEO, Copenhagen Fashion Week.
• Prof. Johan Rockström: Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre and Professor in Environmental Science with emphasis on water resources and global sustainability at Stockholm University.
• Mr. Ellis Rubinstein: President and CEO, The New York Academy of Sciences.
• Ms. Franca Sozzani: Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia.
• Ms. Amber Valletta: Supermodel, actress & entrepreneur.