Ethical Fashion Forum Innovation USA winners announced

The Ethical Fashion Forum [EFF], the industry body dedicated

to sustainable fashion, offers recognition to emerging designers and businesses within the ethical fashion sector. Following the success of the Innovation Awards in the UK, 2011 marked the launch of Innovation USA in partnership with Nolcha, allowing the EFF to take their support of sustainable design to a transatlantic level.

The winners of the award receive the opportunity to exhibit their Spring/Summer 2012 collections at Nolcha Fashion Week: New York. This will take place on September 12th 2011 at the Metropolitan Pavilion. In addition, winners receive one year in Showroom International/Bel Esprit  as well as a promotional and support package from the EFF, including access to all information on their SOURCE Intelligence Magazine and a listing on their SOURCE Database.  Winners have been selected for demonstrating progressive attitudes towards social and environmental sustainability alongside their innovative approach to design – communicating that fashion and fairness are no longer mutually exclusive concepts.

The winners of the awards are as follows:
1) Innovation USA Winner: Soham Dave
2) Innovation USA Winner: Carrie Parry
3) Innovation USA Winner: Afia
4) Innovation ‘One to Watch’: Ethos

As Innovation’s ‘One to Watch’ emerging brand Ethos receives the Ethical Fashion Forum’s promotional and support package to develop collections- rather than showcasing support.

2011’s judging panel included many influential figures from the fashion and sustainable industries including Kerry Bannigan, Nolcha Co-founder and CEO; Adriana Herrera, Founder of Fashioning Change; Marina Lekaritis, Marketing Manager for Harrods Personal Shopping Experience; Jamila Payne, Director of the National Association of Sustainable Fashion Designers; Deborah Pollakus, CEO and President of Bel Esprit.