Zalando and Copenhagen Fashion Week finalists

By

Rüdiger Oberschür

Translated by
Cassidy STEPHENS

Published
Dec 8, 2022

Zalando and Copenhagen Fashion Week have announced the finalists for the Sustainability Award 2023. The three female designers are TG Botanical from Ukraine, Selam Fessahaye from Sweden and Stamm from Denmark. The award ceremony for what is already the fifth edition of the fashion competition will take place on February 2, 2023 during Copenhagen Fashion Week which starts on January 31 until February 3.

The winner will receive 20,000 euros in prize money and get the chance to design an exclusive capsule collection in partnership with Zalando.

In addition to the applicants' sustainability concept, the jury focused on the use of certified materials, production process, innovation, transparency and the circular economy factor. This season finalists all focused particularly on materials.

Designer Tetyana Chumak of TG Botanical opted for natural fabrics such as linen, hemp and organic cotton. Her fur-like material made of hemp was the highlight of the collection. Selam Fessahaye is developing her own fabric from recycled material to use in her future collections. While Elisabet Stamm worked with hand-spun Indian khadi, a traditionally produced textile made primarily of cotton dyed with either natural indigo or herbs and tree bark.

"The Zalando Sustainability Award is an important part of Copenhagen Fashion Week. Now in its fifth season, we are continuously impressed and inspired by the participating brands. And this season is no exception, as we have three finalists with different backgrounds and stories - all with their own unique sustainability concept for product design and fashion. This dynamic trio represents the future of design," says Laura Coppen, head of circularity at Zalando, who is also on the jury. The jury also includes Copenhagen Fashion Week's CEO Cecilie Thorsmark, Zalando's director of designer & luxury Lena Sophie Röper, as well as sustainability and brand advisor Dio Kurazawa and sustainability editor of Vogue Emily Chan.