CNMI Green Carpet Talent Competition 2019: Finalists Announced
Clare Press, Laura Brown and Derek Blasberg among judges announcing finalists for the CNMI Green Carpet Talent Competition 2019, in which emerging designers from all over the world are challenged to pair ethics and aesthetics ahead of the CNMI Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia 2019.
By Kelly Green on July 9, 2019
Judges including Livia Firth, Carlo Capasa and Clare Press gathered at Hotel Chateau Montford, Italy to select the five rising stars in sustainable fashion eligible to win The Franca Sozzani GCC Emerging Designer Award on stage at La Scala during the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia in Milan on September 22nd 2019.
The panel was made of international industry experts with a hand in the future of fashion including Eco-Age’s Livia Firth; Camera della Moda’s President Carlo Capasa; Vogue Australia’s sustainability editor-at-large Clare Press; YouTube’s Derek Blasberg; activist Sinead Burke; journalist Laura Brown; Elite Model’s Piero Piazzi; Dyne.Life’s Christopher Bevans and Milano Unica’s Ercole Botto Poala.
Now in its third year, the competition challenges emerging designers worldwide to redefine sustainability in fashion. The contest is part of The Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia, founded by Camera Della Moda Italia in partnership with Eco-Age. The ceremony showcases the innovation and craftmanship of the fashion supply chain, celebrating Made in Italy. For the first time, the call is also open to accessory designers.
Judges scrutinised entries from short-listed design talent. Innovations on display included ‘Silk Fur’ made from waste silk yarns; padding made from recycled plastic bottles; reclaimed waste fishing nets from Aquafil, creators of ECONYL® regenerated nylon yarn; and wooden ‘eco-leather’; in addition to home touches such as reclaimed materials from designer’s family haberdasheries. Designers worked with experts to develop innovative creations, utilising and building on favoured techniques from the world-famous Italian supply chain. The textile exhibition Milano Unica helped to supply the finalists with sustainable natural materials.
All designers are challenged to incorporate the Eco-Age Principles of Sustainable Excellence, Eco-Age’s sustainable guidelines, into their bespoke designs together with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana’s sustainable guidelines.
All designers are challenged to incorporate the Eco-Age Principles of Sustainable Excellence, Eco-Age’s sustainable guidelines, into their bespoke designs together with Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana’s sustainable guidelines.
Deliberations by the judges saw the 10 semi-finalists whittled down to five finalists, who will attend The Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia, on Sept 22nd at the iconic La Scala opera house in Milan.
“It is a constant surprise to see so many different ways designers incorporates sustainable solutions in their creations,” says Livia. “This year I loved it more than ever as the finalists really pushed some of the solutions to the edge and gave us wonderful solutions to our wardrobes sustainable crisis”
Between the semi-finalists: Unravelau
Unravelau is a sustainable fashion brand founded in 2017 by Laura Meijering. She tries to only use resources that are not harmful to our world but also allow for maximum reuse and sets an example by making environmentally conscious decisions one step at a time, all the while learning from the past. Her look uses zero waste pattern cutting and natural materials enabling enable easy re-production if the wearer wishes for the garment to be reimagined.