Iso.Poetism by Tobias Birk Nielsen wins Zalando Sustainability Award

Danish menswear label Iso.Poetism by Tobias Birk Nielsen has won the Zalando Sustainability Award during Copenhagen Fashion Week, standing out from the competition with his innovative dyeing techniques.

Birk Nielsen is the third winner of the Zalando Sustainability Award, following in the footsteps of Copenhagen-based streetwear brand Nikolaj Storm and Swedish label House of Dagmar, and will receive 20,000 euros and a partnership with Zalando to develop an exclusive collection for the retailer.

Zalando also added that it will make much of his autumn/winter 2022 collection showcased at Copenhagen Fashion Week available to its more than 46 million customers across 23 European markets.

The Zalando Sustainability Award was conceived to encourage fashion brands to explore alternative approaches to design and production to contribute to a more sustainable fashion industry and jury member Arizona Muse said she was impressed by Iso.Poetism’s focus on designing with minimal impact and zero waste.

Zalando Sustainability Award names Iso.Poetism by Tobias Birk Nielsen as winner

Sara Diez, vice president of women and private labels at Zalando SE, said in a statement: “One of the key criteria when selecting the winner of the Sustainability Award was how they combined fashion credibility with sustainability and Iso.Poetism by Tobias Birk Nielsen really hit the mark with their innovative fabric choices which showcased a fresh urban look on the runway.

“As a platform we want to use our influence to grow more sustainable choices for our customers and it is great to see that many brands want to partner with us in this mission. We look forward to working with Iso.Poetism by Tobias Birk Nielsen to explore advancements and innovation to make sustainability more desirable than ever. With a focus on transparency and sharing information on the impacts of the fabrics used, we hope to make it easier for shoppers to make a more sustainable choice.”

Commenting on his win, Tobias Birk Nielsen added: “I am so proud and humbled about receiving this award - it truly means the world to us! It’s been a precious learning process and a great experience to be part of the Zalando Sustainability Award. Until now we've been taking sustainable decisions as part of a natural and logical process, and have been focusing on how to implement them internally in everything from design process to our logistical footsteps.

“But being part of this has pushed us to start programming our sustainable approaches, disseminating and communicating them and our sustainable ideas not only internally - but also outside of our little busy work bubble. And winning this award has only made us even more motivated to continue that journey, as well as to chase an even more ambitious sustainable vision for the brand.”

Iso.Poetism beat off tough competition from finalists Fassbender and Tomorrow Denim, who were also recognised by the jury as “outstanding examples of brands that inspire and integrate sustainability throughout the entire supply chain while creating well-constructed fashion pieces that are wardrobe heroes”.