This new partnership brings circular design for fashion to the very top of the Italian fashion industry’s creative agenda, starting with the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards
Dame Ellen MacArthur will chair the jury for the Awards and bring with her the Foundation’s vision of a circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. for fashion to redefine the industry’s future
This year sees the introduction of a dedicated Circular Economy Award - celebrating outstanding circular design and innovation
Announced today, the new partnership between the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), provides a unique platform to further highlight how fashion can be redefined through circular design and encourage creatives everywhere to rethink how they can design for a regenerative, circular economy.
The CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards will take place at Teatro La Scala of Milan, on the 25th September. The awards, divided into twelve categories, will acknowledge those setting ambitious targets and taking concrete action towards change, with a strong focus on sustainable and circular innovation.
As chair of the jury, Dame Ellen will bring a circular economy lens across all award categories and present the dedicated Circular Economy Award that celebrates leading examples of circular design. It is hoped that the winners will bring the Foundation's vision of a redefined future for fashion to the world stage.
Dame Ellen MacArthur - Founder and Chair of Trustees, Ellen MacArthur Foundation said:
“We are thrilled to be working with CNMI at The Sustainable Fashion Awards. This exciting, global event will highlight the outstanding contributions and formidable efforts of creatives from across the industry. The dedicated ‘Circular Economy Award’ celebrates leading examples of innovation and circular design that can help to redefine the future of fashion, by building an industry that eliminates waste and pollution, circulates products and materials, and regenerates nature.
With CNMI’s network based at the centre of luxury Italian fashion and their work aiming at the highest standards of industrial, environmental, and social sustainability, we have forged a partnership from which the Foundation can bring its vision of a circular fashion industry into the mainstream. Together, CNMI and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will salute and award those who are taking circular design directly to the heart of an industry that can help tackle the root causes of global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.”
Carlo Capasa, Chairman of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana commented:
“The collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an important step for the CNMI and its Roadmap on Sustainability, which has marked the past ten years of the Association’s mission. We are delighted to collaborate with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which is the world leader in the transition to that circular economy which we all hope for. The CNMI fully embraces the Foundation’s vision of a circular economy for fashion, putting it at the base of its strategy and involving all the players in the creative productive and distributive system of the fashion industry. An innovative vision for a better future for the planet and for people can only have fashion engaged in full for its achievement.”
This partnership closely follows the publication of the Foundation’s book, Circular Design for Fashion, written in recognition of fashion's huge potential to shift towards a circular economy and in homage to its creatives who are embracing their role in reimagining products, services, and systems.
If we use circular design to create products that are used more, made to be made again, and made from safe and recycled or renewable inputs, we can drive an industry that becomes part of the solutions to global challenges such as waste and pollution, rather than part of the problem.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact Paul Smith paul.smith@emf.org.
Notes to Editor
About the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international charity that develops and promotes the circular economy in order to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. We work with our network of private and public sector decision-makers, as well as academia, to build capacity, explore collaborative opportunities, and design and develop circular economy initiatives and solutions. Increasingly based on renewable energyrenewable energyEnergy derived from resources that are not depleted on timescales relevant to the economy, i.e. not geological timescales., a circular economy is driven by design to eliminate waste, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature, to create resilience and prosperity for business, the environment, and society.
About the Foundation's Fashion Initiative
The Fashion Initiative was launched by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as ‘Make Fashion Circular’ at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2017, and brings together leaders from across the fashion industry to work with cities, philanthropists, NGOs, and innovators. Fashion companies that are in the Foundation's Network include: Strategic Partner - H&M Group, Partners - Inditex, Lacoste, Primark, PVH Corp., Ralph Lauren and Zalando, and members. The Foundation’s Fashion Initiative is leading international efforts to stop waste and pollution by creating a circular economy for the industry, where products are used more, are made to be made again and are made from safe, recycled or renewable inputs.
Further information: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org | @circulareconomy
Further information: Our Network | network@ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
About Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana
Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) is a no-profit association founded in 1958 to represent, promote and support the values and development of Italian fashion in Italy and worldwide. Based in world fashion capital Milan, the Association represents around 230 Italian brands. CNMI members include some of the biggest names in Italian fashion, such as AEFFE, Bottega Veneta, Dolce& Gabbana, Emilio Pucci, Etro, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Max Mara, Missoni, Moncler, OTB, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Valentino, Versace and Zegna. Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana members enjoy numerous services, as well as being able to take part in all the Association’s events and activities. CNMI’s mission is to support the entire Italian fashion industry worldwide by maintaining institutional relationships and communicating our values and activities. One of the most important of our many initiatives is organizing the Milan Fashion Weeks. CNMI’s operating strategy and development are based on the following pillars: Enviromental and Social Sustainability, Education and Young Designers, Digitalization and Internationalization.
