Several weeks ago, we put out an invitation together with Ecouterre to join in on a discussion in New York, asking the question, “Why does sustainable fashion matter?” At the event, Eviana Hartman and Clodagh – both of them design their own collections for hessnatur – had a chance to say their piece.

We were excited by the great number and variety of participants, from fashion magazine editors to fashion bloggers to designers. Better yet, we could really feel that “Eco Fashion” is gaining an ever wider acceptance, and it was a great pleasure for us to help quench the thirst for knowledge that is growing in the USA.

The essence of the event: Sustainable fashion is gaining ground, and has nothing to do with the “crunchy granola look” of the past.

It was a great event, with a very interesting crowd of participants, as well as onlookers. The video captures it pretty nicely!

Rachel Sarnoff inspired me with her catchy and funny 60-second clip on “Why eco-fashion matters”. In the video, she gives tips on how to get a “clean” wardrobe, what you should look for and what you should avoid.

Enjoy the show!

What interests me is: What is your share of “poison-free clothing” in the closet?

The radiant winner is certain – Janosch Mallwitz wins the first ever Humanity in Fashion Award by hessnatur. Now that it’s decided, I’d like to elaborate on the event and pass on some of what was said during the ceremony. On Flickr you’ll find some images of the event.

Over one hundred journalists and bloggers gathered for a press brunch at the Palazzo Italia last Thursday in Berlin, assuring they were on time for the award ceremony. hessnatur CEO Wolf Lüdge greeted all guests before the prize was passed to the winer. “This is about fashion. This is about the future. And this is about responsibility,” Lüdge said. He continued to say that the participants of the Humanity in Fashion Awards, especially the three finalists, addressed these themes well, “…bringing them together.”

Lüdge informed the guests that the three finalists were intentionally thrown a “wild card” at the Palazzo: no preset conditions dictating how they were to present their designs. He recalled his astonishment at the efforts of the three up-and-coming designers during their set up the night before: “It was clear that this was not going to be an easy decision for the jury.”

Dr. Stefanie Schütte, fashion correspondent for the DPA (Deutsche Presseagentur) and jury member, stressed that three prizes really should have been awarded. Each finalist presented a coherent and harmonious collection with its own unique identity: “Julia Knüpfer deserves the award for prettiest collection, Janosch Mallwitz for the most diverse, and Anja Umann for the most sophisticated,” said Schütte.

After a “downright struggle”, the verdict fell upon Janosch Mallwitz, who placed textile production at the center of his collection, thus emphasizing its significance for the individual. The jury felt confident that Janosch Mallwitz could develop a “young, modern collection with a sportive touch” together with hessnatur. And as the winner of the first Fashion Awards from hessnatur, Janosch has secured an exclusive contract for a Capsule Collection, including a grant in the sum of 25,000 Euro.

The winner’s certificate and the award itself, a baton, was handed from Wolf Lüdge to Janosch Mallwitz. “Pass the idea on with this, so that, in the future, even more people can share an enthusiasm for sustainable fashion,” encouraged hessnatur’s CEO. The two runners-up, Julia Knüpfer and Anja Umann, were further congratulated for their design ideas. “We’ll be hearing a lot from you in the future, as well!” the jury asserted.

Finally, designer Miguel Adrover took the floor, congratulating the winner and thanking the finalists as well as hessnatur as host for their participation and dedication. “You all bring the fashion industry forward! Thank you all, thank you hessnatur.

Over 40 collection drafts from the designs of all of Europe’s up-and-coming fashion talents have reached us over the past year for the hessnatur-initiated Humanity in Fashion Award.

Three finalists have been chosen, who will be presenting their collections at the Berlin Fashion Week in January of 2011. Berlin’s chosen winner will then see his or her collection come into being under the banner of hessnatur.

The decision falls between finalists Julia Knüpfer, ESMOD Berlin graduate and founder of an eco-fashion label, Anja Umann, AMD Munich alumna and co-founder of a vegan fashion label, and Janosch Mallwitz, graduate of UdK Berlin.

These candidates’ designs won over the jury, lead by hessnatur designer Miguel Adrover, the most. “I’m happy to see how many young designers are interested in our award, and thus interested in “natural clothing” as a theme in itself. Talented people from all over the world, making it clear through their extraordinary ideas that ecology by no means limits style or design.” hessnatur’s Humanity in Fashion Award fosters the alliance between aspiration in fashion and humane, ecologically sound production methods.

If you just so happen to be in Berlin at the end of January, mark Thursday the 20th on your calendar. Between 12:00 noon and 4:00 PM you can meet the three budding talents, as well as view their collections, in the Palazzo Italia. Entrance is free of charge, and you are most welcome to come and join us!