Ellen MacArthur Foundation partners with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana on Award for Circular Economy

For the second year running, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is collaborating with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) on its Sustainable Fashion Awards. Along with its role as Chair of the Jury, the Foundation will, once again, present an Award for Circular Economy

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation Award for Circular Economy honours leaders in the fashion industry that are excelling at applying the principles of the circular economy to their work. It consolidates circular design for fashion at the top of the Italian fashion industry’s creative agenda.

It’s aimed at brands, suppliers, and enabling platforms whose products and services harness disruptive and creative circular solutions that help tackle global challenges such as waste, pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. It celebrates those that are innovating in line with the Foundation’s vision of a circular economy for fashion, a vision where products are used more, made to be made again, and made from safe and recycled or renewable inputs.

By recognising those leading the way in practising circular design, the Foundation hopes to inspire creatives and designers everywhere to reimagine products, services, and systems and embrace their role in accelerating the transition to a circular economy. 

More generally, as Chair of the Jury, the Foundation can bring a circular economy lens to relevant award categories and acknowledge those reshaping the future of the fashion industry.

“We’re delighted to be chairing the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards again this year, and to have the opportunity to celebrate the designers and brands innovating the future of the fashion industry.

As part of the overall awards, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Award for Circular Economy honours those excelling at putting circular design and business models at the heart of their work, inspiring others to innovate for positive change to help tackle global challenges, like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

The journey towards a circular economy for fashion won’t happen overnight and it requires systemic change. These awards celebrate progress and help set the direction of travel, acting as an important step towards a more sustainable, equitable, circular, and regenerative future for fashion.” – Andrew Morlet, CEO, Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

“We’re really excited to be working with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana on its Sustainable Fashion Awards for the second year running. These awards provide an incredible opportunity to continue shining a light on circular design to ensure it’s part of the bigger picture for the future of fashion. In our vision of a circular economy for fashion, products  are used more, made to be made again, and made from safe and recycled or renewable inputs.

Through our Award for Circular Economy, we hope to inspire creatives and designers everywhere to not only reimagine the products of the future, but also the processes, services, business models and systems that will keep them in use. By putting the vision of a circular economy for fashion at the heart of their work, they are creating a clear pathway to continue driving action, at pace and scale.” – Jules Lennon, Fashion Initiative Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “To continue as a Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Network and collaborate on this year’s CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards represents an important milestone for CNMI on the path toward sustainability. We have been pursuing sustainability and circularity for more than 10 years, and are delighted to see this commitment continue this year. 

On the occasion of the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards 2023, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will chair the prestigious Jury and present The Ellen MacArthur Foundation Award for Circular Economy. The Foundation’s contribution is essential to bringing a circular economy lens across the Awards, and as a collaborator, they are able to offer their expertise to drive consistency across our broader sustainability efforts. The Foundation’s vision of a circular economy for fashion is crucial to guiding the industry towards a future that has full circularity as its goal.” – Carlo Capasa, Chairman Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana.

The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) Sustainable Fashion Awards will take place at Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 24 September.  

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international charity developing and promoting 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 energy, 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 people.  

Further information: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org | @circulareconomy