This article was originally published on Moda Glamour Italia
Istituto Marangoni, international leader in higher education in the fields of Fashion, Art and Design, is the partner for the European edition of the contest, sharing with the CDC the mission of promoting young talents who use their creativity and ingenuity to produce sustainable fashion. The winner of the international contest will have the opportunity to participate in the Lakmé Fashion Week in Delhi.
The Milan jury selected Felipe Fiallo, originally from Ecuador, as the winner among talented designers who presented their collections linked to sustainable production. Felipe Fiallo will join Hong Kong Meet finalist Pei-Wen Jin and India Meet finalists Riddhi Jain, Jinali Mody and Arundhati Kumar and Anish Malpani along with UK Jury Meet finalist Amesh Wijesekera, to participate in the finals that will take place at Lakmé Fashion Week in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) next October.
FELIPE_FIALLO® is a revolutionary high-end Phygital footwear brand that combines “ Made in Italy ”, biology and digital production to redefine the concept of Luxury . The collection is inspired by the collaboration between man and nature with the aim of re-defining the boundaries of the fashion industry through regenerative design and cutting-edge technologies in line with the trends loved by the new generations.
Stefania Valenti , CEO of Istituto Marangoni, declared: “We are delighted to partner with CDC and Reliance Industries to host this first edition of the European selection chapter of the Circular Design Challenge. As one of the leading institutions in the world of higher education focused on fashion, our mission is to train the new generation of designers by creating a culture of circularity and sustainable fashion and an eco-conscious mentality. Thanks to the past collaboration of one of our most notable Alumni, designer Rahul Mishra, with Reliance Brands who supported him for his strong commitment to sustainability, we are honored to participate in this year’s CDC edition with our emerging Alumni which represent this sustainable approach within the fashion system in a concrete and contemporary way. “
The EU jury was composed of Francesco Fioretto – Research & Education Director of Istituto Marangoni, Francesca Delogu – Fashion and lifestyle journalist and Marina Spadafora – Sustainability consultant, teacher and author.
Rakesh Bali , Senior Vice President- Head Marketing of Reliance Industries Limited, present for the occasion in Milan, commented: “We are thrilled with the remarkable success of the project. The variety of approach and innovation in each project presented was truly inspiring and encompassed different aspects related to circularity and sustainability. The event demonstrated the immense potential of fashion in catalyzing global change. We are delighted that the CDC initiative launched by Reliance Industries 5 years ago, which has been the “cradle” of many emerging talents in India, is now poised to drive a positive change in the sustainability landscape globally. I want to personally thank the designers who participated in the contest, the members of the jury and our partners Istituto Marangoni, the United Nations in India and Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI, with whom we hope to increasingly promote a sustainable approach in the world of fashion”.
The final will take place in October in India, where the CDC winner will be rewarded with a €16,000 seed fund , the coveted CDC Trophy and a six-month mentorship, as well as an independent showcase at Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI in March 2024 The second place winner will receive a prize worth €5,000 and mentorship. The winner and runner-up will be mentored by Orsola de Castro , co-founder of Fashion Revolution and creative director of Estethica; she that she will provide invaluable guidance to designers and help them become architects of the sustainable change of the future.
Jaspreet Chandok, vice-president of the Reliance Brands group which organizes Lakme Fashion Week in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council of India, said: “After witnessing the growing participation and appreciation for CDC over the past five years, bringing CDC to the global stage aligns perfectly with our vision of promoting sustainable fashion around the world. Together with R|Elan™ and the United Nations in India, we have elevated the Circular Design Challenge to become the largest sustainability platform in the country. As we move forward, our goal is to make this platform an even greater success on an international scale, together with our global partners and welcome creative minds from around the world to join us in our mission to promote sustainable fashion. “
Bringing the Circular Design Challenge to Europe marks an extraordinary step forward towards a more sustainable future thanks to international partners such as the British Council for the United Kingdom, Redress for Hong Kong/Asia Pacific and Istituto Marangoni for the European Union.