House of Dagmar wins Zalando sustainability award

Zalando has announced that Swedish label House of Dagmar has won its inaugural sustainability award during Copenhagen Fashion Week.

House of Dagmar impressed the jury with its “strong sustainable ambition,” shown through many aspects of the brand’s supply chain, as well as its continued commitment to producing fashionable, high-quality and low-impact products.

As winners, the Swedish fashion brand will receive a financial prize and a partnership with Zalando to develop an exclusive collection that the online retailer stated would continue to explore sustainability solutions in design across materials, production processes, technological solutions and traceability.

To further support House of Dagmar in its business growth, Zalando will also make a broad selection of the collection showcased at Copenhagen Fashion Week available to its more than 35 million customers across 17 European markets.

Kate Heiny, director of sustainability at Zalando, said in a statement: “We are delighted to be able to announce House of Dagmar as the winner of the first Sustainability Award. This is the next step on our journey towards finding more sustainable solutions. Together, we are excited to explore, and improve, the use of materials, production processes and technological advancements that will mirror the ambition and commitment of all involved.

“The Sustainability Award is a really important initiative for us as we continue our work in collaboration and supporting brands to really drive a change and make a positive impact on the people and planet.”

Zalando announces the first winner of its sustainable award in partnership with Copenhagen Fashion Week

The jury explained that that House of Dagmar’s commitment to a more sustainable future was “evident,” through the brand steps to reduce its materials footprint by removing unsustainable materials from its collections and replacing them with more sustainable options, including choosing recycled rather than virgin materials, or options with less chemicals and water usage.

In the Swedish label’s latest collection, 90 percent of the garments are labelled as ‘Good Choice’ indicating that they are created from more sustainable fabrics. The jury also highlighted that House of Dagmar has extended its efforts to understand supply chains and ensure workers rights are meeting the brand’s own high standards.

Commenting on winning the inaugural sustainability award, Sofia Wallenstam, brand director at House of Dagmar, said: “Thank you Zalando for making sustainability a top priority for our industry and selecting us as your first awardee. We feel inspired and energised to do even more – in a year such as the one we have behind us this is the ignition we need to keep pushing.

“We are so excited to receive recognition for our efforts and be given the spotlight on the matters of sustainability – this is what we have been doing for more than 15 years now. As fashion and sustainability is not a game or a sport where only one brand can win, we feel we want to share this recognition with so many of our very ambitious industry colleagues.”

The runner up, Marimekko, was also recognised by the jury as being an outstanding example of how a brand could approach a holistic focus on integrating sustainability throughout the entire value chain. Marimekko showcased a seasonless collection at fashion week, inspired to be ideal for longevity and created with more sustainable materials.

The winner was chosen by six jury members including model and environmental activist, Arizona Muse, chief executive of Copenhagen Fashion Week, Cecilie Thorsmark, chief sustainability officer of Global Fashion Agenda, Morten Lehman, sustainability and brand advisor, Dio Kurazawa, director of sustainability at Zalando, Kate Heiny, and buying director premium and luxury at Zalando, Lena-Sophie Roeper. Each jury member reviewed the brands’ sustainability strategies, including their collections and level of dedication to sustainable advancements.

Images: courtesy of House of Dagmar by Jesse Laitinen