Challenge the Fabric

Glossy speaks to CTF Award jury members Caterina Tonda from Kering and Andrea Rosso from Diesel about material innovation in the fashion and textile industry and the importance of Challenge the Fabric, which took place in Milan on May 14th and 15th 2024. "This year’s CTF Award winner, fashion designer Yaku Stapleton, said, 'On an industrial level, material innovation offers designers the opportunity to continue creating freely and in harmony with the world around them.'" Read the interview and full piece by Zofia Zwieglinska via the link below: https://lnkd.in/dJZvx43k

Sourcing Journal covers the #CTFAward, which took place in Milan last week, and interviews Nina Elmersson from Ekman Group group about how the initiative came about and the important role of the partners participating. “When we first started CTF back in 2018, we felt that there was a disconnect and lack of communication between different stakeholders in the supply chain of MMCFs,” Elmersson said. “With Ekman Group being one of the largest independent trading houses within the forestry sector, we recognized that we were in a good position to use our network to create a forum or platform to bring together the different stakeholders to bridge this gap. Partnering with the Swedish Fashion Council allowed us to connect with brands and truly bring in all relevant stakeholders to the discussions.” Read the full article via the link below: https://lnkd.in/d9t69czK

Thank you to everyone who took part in Challenge the Fabric 2024 and to all the CTF partners, with a special thank you to Platinum partners ARAUCO and Birla Cellulose and Gold partners Södra, OnceMore®, Grupo Impetus, Nanollose Ltd (ASX:NC6), Circ®, Infinited Fiber Company, SPINNOVA®, PYRATEX®, HeiQ AeoniQ™, MAS Holdings. A huge thank you to all the CTF Award finalists, jury, advisory board, key speakers, moderators, and panellists who participated in this year's edition. We are very grateful for your participation and look forward to welcoming you back for future editions. Explore highlights from the two-day event below.

CTF 2024 featured a full-day symposium of inspiring panel discussions, keynotes, and a platform for professionals across the MMCF supply chain to connect, collaborate, and drive change. Discover highlights from the event, including panel discussions and keynotes from speakers including Nina Elmersson, VP Innovare Ekman Group; Wilson Oryema, artist and writer, co-founder of the Surface Tension platform and Research Director at Austron Research; Regina Polanco, Founder and CEO PYRATEX®; Caterina Tonda, RTW Sustainable Development Manager, Material Innovation Lab Kering; Halit Gümüşer, Managing Director Kipas Textiles; Brooke Roberts-Islam, Journalist Techstyler/Forbes; Neeka Mashouf, CEO & Co-Founder Rubi Laboratories, and many more.

On Tuesday, 14th May, CTF hosted a cocktail at Centro Congresso Fondazione Cariplo in Milan to celebrate the #CTFAward 2024 finalists. The event saw the opening of an exhibition designed as a black void and audio experience, leaving ample room for each designer and finalist to express their unique look designed for the competition and share their experience and process of creating the look and working with their partner and MMCF material. CTF Award finalists included ABRA, Karoline Vitto Gomes, Louise Lyngh Bjerregaard, Paolina Russo, Renata Brenha, Sylvi Sundkler, vel don sa lim, and YAKU paired with a CTF Award innovation partner including OnceMore®, HeiQ AeoniQ™ together with MAS Holdings, Nanollose Ltd (ASX:NC6), SPINNOVA®, Birla Cellulose, Infinited Fiber Company, PYRATEX®, and Grupo Impetus together with Circulose®. The exhibition stayed open during CTF in Milan on May 14 and 15.

British Vogue announces YAKU as the winner of the CTF Award 2024 and interviews some of the #CTFAward finalists about their creations and final looks. The CTF Award aims to promote and encourage the use of biobased and recycled materials while establishing long-term partnerships between emerging designers and potential sustainable material partners. All creations showcased as part of the exhibition have been made using 10m of man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF) fabric, aimed to demonstrate innovative uses of textiles. Read the full article via the link below. https://lnkd.in/dG9cyKUz

We are excited to announce YAKU as the winner of the CTF Award 2024. Yaku Stapleton was announced as part of a ceremony during CTF in Milan on May 15th and will receive a cash prize of $10,000 for their creation and winning look created with their CTF Award Innovation Partner Grupo Impetus and Circulose®. “Yaku's work for the CTF Awards stands out for its innovative, creative, and deeply personal approach, coupled with a commercial edge that resonates with a broad audience. His design weaves realism, storytelling, and futuristic elements with a unisex appeal, making it an iconic piece with incredible use of the material provided by IMPETUS GROUP och Circulose®.” #CTFAward finalists included ABRA, Karoline Vitto Gomes, Louise Lyngh Bjerregaard, Paolina Russo, Renata Brenha, Sylvi Sundkler, vel don sa lim, and YAKU paired with a CTF Award innovation partner including OnceMore®, HeiQ AeoniQ™ together with MAS Holdings, Nanollose Ltd (ASX:NC6), SPINNOVA®, Birla Cellulose, Infinited Fiber Company, PYRATEX®, and Grupo Impetus together with Circulose®. The exhibition will stay open during CTF in Milan on May 14 and 15.

Meet Renata Brenha, one of the CTF Award 2024 Finalists. Renata Brenha is a Brazilian womenswear designer based in London with an MA in fashion from the Royal College of Art and a postgraduate diploma from Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London. Renata Brenha's eponymous brand reframes the place of women and Latin America in contemporary fashion based on a sustainability proposal and the reuse of resources with a strong artisanal vein. The designer’s textiles are predominantly developed in-house from carefully chosen materials that would otherwise be considered waste. For the #CTFAward, Renata Brenha has partnered with CTF Innovation Partner Birla Cellulose to create one look using 10m of man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF). The final creation will be showcased during an exhibition at CTF in Milan on May 14th and 15th. Discover more about Renata Brenha via the link below. https://lnkd.in/g5vVyq4G

One day to go! Challenge the Fabric 2024 will take place on the 14th and 15th at Centro Congresso Fondazione Cariplo in Milan. The event will kick off with a cocktail and exhibition to celebrate the CTF Award finalists on May 14, followed by a full-day symposium of inspiring panel discussions, keynotes, and a platform for professionals across the MMCF supply chain to connect, collaborate, and drive change on May 15. Today marks the last day to register for the event. Discover the agenda for #CTF2024 via the link below. https://lnkd.in/dersG8su https://lnkd.in/d7XCgKUi

Meet Sylvi Sundkler, one of the CTF Award 2024 Finalists. Sylvi Sundkler was founded in 2023 by Swedish Designer Matilda Sundkler. The brand’s inception centres around the innovative management of Sweden’s waste wool, utilizing shrinkage as a foundational concept in garment creation. Exploring the transformative potential of shrinkage, the brand narrates the journey from flat cloth to wearable attire. Sylvi Sundkler seeks to bridge the gap between innovative making processes and fashion design, pioneering a progressive approach toward sustainable design practices. For the #CTFAward, Sylvi Sundkler has partnered with CTF Innovation Partner Infinited Fiber Company to create one look using 10m of man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF). The final creation will be showcased during an exhibition at CTF in Milan on May 14th and 15th. Discover more about Sylvi Sundkler via the link below. https://lnkd.in/dNjjY4Ys