Green Carpet Talent Competition names 2019 finalists

The Green Carpet Talent Competition, which challenges emerging designers to redefine sustainability in fashion, has shortlisted five rising stars for The Franca Sozzani GCC Emerging Designer Award, which will be presented at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in Milan on September 22.

Judges scrutinised entries from 10 semi-finalists to name 5 shortlisted design talent for the final, including designs featuring innovations such as ‘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.

Leading the pack is Italian designer Flavia La Rocca, founder and designer of Flavialarocca, a brand centred on ethical practices, modularity and sustainability. All fabrics used by La Rocca are natural or regenerated, coloured using natural dyes and using modular design to enable the look to be worn in different combinations, as a comment on the reduction of consumption, while eco-innovator Anyango Mpinga has embraced the principles of circular fashion to explore radical systems in textile design and promote conscious consumption of apparel and accessories. Mpinga’s look is made from “silk fur” an innovative material created from waste silk yarns which could not be woven into materials. These are normally discarded by factories or woven into carpets.

The other finalists includes footwear designer Edoardo Iannuzzi, who’s shoe design incorporates a patent-pending zip system that allows the creation of multiple shoes with a single outsole #thezipshoe in addition to a biodegradable outsole, while the Twins Florence’s brand identity is deeply rooted in the Italian manufacturing tradition as well as using certified recycled denim yarn, with rubber bands made from recycled plastic bottles, and accessories designer Benedetta Bruzziches showcased a bag made from the brand’s production waste, where small pieces of recycled PMMA were merged together to create the reimagined pattern of terrazzo.

Five sustainable designers shortlisted for Green Carpet Talent Competition

The shortlisted designers were selected by a jury of industry experts including Camera della Moda’s chairman Carlo Capasa, Eco-Age’s creative director Livia Firth, Milano Unica’s president Ercole Botto Poala, Dyne’s creative director Christopher Bevans, YouTube’s head of new fashion and beauty Derek Blasberg, and writer and activist Sinead Burke.

Carlo Capasa, chairman of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana said in a statement: “This year’s offering showcases some of the most exciting, Italian-inspired innovations I have seen in the Green Carpet Talent Competition to date. The competition has clearly sparked the imagination of incredible budding designers to create truly stunning pieces which encompass the true spirit of the awards.”

Livia Firth, founder and creative director, Eco-Age added: “It is a constant surprise to see so many different ways designers incorporates sustainable solutions in their creations. 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 wardrobe’s sustainable crisis.”

Now in its third year, the competition is part of The Green Carpet Fashion Awards, founded by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italina in collaboration with Eco-Age and with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development (MISE), the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and the Municipality of Milan to showcases the innovation and craftsmanship of the fashion supply chain, celebrating Made in Italy.

Image: courtesy of the Green Carpet Talent Competition