Lab-grown leather, clothes that grow and a tech take on crafting a truly circular economy are among this year’s Global Change Award winners. And to further support the victors, the H&M Foundation, the non-profit arm established by the Swedish multinational, has announced a new initiative with crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, which gives consumers an active role, allowing and encouraging them to back the pioneers.
Announced at Stockholm’s City Hall—the venue where the Nobel Prize is presented, a sign of the award’s scale and aspired influence—this year’s crop of winners are nothing short of game-changing. Selected from a record-breaking 6,640 entries (up from 2,600 last year) and 182 countries, each entry aims to accelerate the shift towards a more sustainable future in rather unique and wonderful ways.
“The winners prove that it’s possible to improve the environmental impact of the fashion industry,” says Karl-Johan Persson, board member of the H&M Foundation and CEO of H&M. “It’s now up to the industry to be bold and pilot these innovations with customers in a commercial context,” adds H&M Foundation’s innovation lead, Erik Bang.
The five winners will share a €1 million (Rs. 77,700,930 approx) grant—plus whatever is raised through the crowdfunding site—and gain access to a year-long accelerator programme run in partnership with consultancy firm Accenture and Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The aim is to get their technology to market as quickly as possible by providing them with support and access to key industry leaders.
Here are the winning entries, set to redesign the future of fashion:
The Loop Scoop by circular.fashion
Image: H&M
This year’s first-place winner, taking the lion’s share of the prize (Rs. 2,33,21,730 approx), aims to create a system which supports a truly circular economy through technology. Starting at the design stage, the German system specifies how each choice of material, cut and production affects the planet. The details are saved into a unique “circularity.ID”, which consumers and recycling facilities can also access, encouraging reusing and recycling of fashion.
Sane Membrane by dimpora
Image: H&M
By its very nature, outdoor wear has to be as durable as it is functional, but the chemicals used to make them so are in fact extremely hazardous to the environment. This Switzerland-based duo has turned to the great outdoors for a solution, creating a non-toxic, biodegradable, mineral-based and fluorine-free alternative. The innovative, micro-thin membrane will guard any garment against the elements, without harming the environment.
Sustainable Sting by Green Nettle Textile
Image: H&M
Kenya’s Green Nettle Textile tackles sustainable fashion and looks to boost local economy in one fell swoop. Using stinging nettles as a raw material—the resilient and low-maintenance plants grow easily in the region—the stalks are turned into a linen-like (sting-free) fabric, and the leftovers are turned into paper and dyes. The sweetest byproduct? Creating job opportunities for 200,000 small holder farmers across the country.
Clothes That Grow by Petit Pli
Image: H&M
Children grow around seven sizes in their first two years of life, leaving parents endlessly playing catch-up with wardrobes and landfills full of baby clothes that have hardly been worn. This patent-pending, UK-based brand creates clothes that grow and expand with the child, minimising waste. Inspired by origami and space engineering, these designs are as playful as the little humans they are designed for.
Lab Leather by Le Qara
Image: H&M
Leather’s impact on the environment is well-known, and the rise of vegan leathers has been well documented, but this new Peruvian brand raises the bar. Using flowers and fruits, Le Qara can mimic virtually any leather texture, colour, toughness and thickness, making it the most “authentic” recreation of leather yet. And it is 100 per cent biodegradable, too.
Also read:
Are direct-to-consumer brands the future for sustainable fashion?
Inside Meghan Markle’s wardrobe: The Duchess’ favoured sustainable labels
Highlights: Sustainable Fashion Day at Lakmé Fashion Week
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