Zalando and Copenhagen Fashion Week shortlist TG Botanical, Selam Fessahaye and STAMM for Sustainability Award

• The Zalando Sustainability Award celebrates brands that drive positive change and contribute to a more responsible fashion industry. The award will take place between 31 January and 3 February, 2023.
• Jury selected finalists based on their dedication to improving the impact of their products, through the materials they source and the manufacturing methods used to produce their collections.
• The winner will receive a prize of 20,000 euros and a partnership with Zalando to develop an exclusive capsule collection.

BERLIN, DECEMBER 07, 2022 // Zalando, a leading European online fashion and lifestyle platform, and Copenhagen Fashion Week announce TG Botanical (Ukraine), Selam Fessahaye (Sweden) and STAMM (Denmark) as the finalists for this season’s Zalando Sustainability Award at Copenhagen Fashion Week, which will take place from 31 January to 03 February 2023.

This is the fifth season of the strategic partnership between Zalando and Copenhagen Fashion Week with the aim to positively transform the fashion industry in terms of responsibility. The award, which is open to designers from around the world, encourages fashion brands to explore new solutions and share forward-thinking ideas that minimize the impact the fashion industry has on the environment.

The finalists were selected by an experienced, international jury of thought leaders, including the CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, Cecilie Thorsmark; Sustainability Editor of British Vogue, Emily Chan; and sustainability and brand advisor Dio Kurazawa. Representing Zalando on the jury are Laura Coppen, Head of Circularity and  Lena Sophie Röper, Director of Designer & Luxury.

The jury closely reviewed each applicant’s fundamental approach to sustainability and focused specifically on their use of certified materials, production processes, innovation, transparency and integration of circular practices. A focus on materials was a key theme among all finalists this season; Designer Tetyana Chumak at TG Botanical opted for natural materials such as linen, hemp and organic cotton. The top highlight from her collection features fur-like material made from hemp. Selam Fessahaye is developing her own textile made from recycled material which she aims to incorporate in her future collections. Elisabet Stamm worked with Indian handspun Khadi, a heritage handloom textile mainly made with cotton dyed with either natural indigo or herbs and tree barks.

Laura Coppen, Head of Circularity at Zalando, says: “The Zalando Sustainability Award is an important part of the fabric that makes up Copenhagen Fashion Week. As we enter the fifth season, we are continuously impressed and inspired by the brands who apply. This season is no exception as we have three female finalists with different backgrounds and stories - all with their own unique approach to sustainable product design and fashion. They are a vibrant and dynamic trio weaving the tapestry of the future of design.”

The three finalists will receive funding for production costs and debut their designs officially at CPHFW and in the Zalando Greenhouse, a digital space where the finalist collections will be streamed and is a source of inspiration and education to help visitors learn and navigate the complex topic of design and sustainability.

The jury will make their final decision after each designer showcases their collection at Copenhagen Fashion Week. The winner will be announced on 2 February 2023.

Jury members

Cecilie Thorsmark - CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week
Laura Coppen - Head of Circularity at Zalando
Lena Sophie Röper - Director of Designer & Luxury at Zalando
Dio Kurazawa - Sustainability and Brand Advisor
Emily Chan - Sustainability Editor, VOGUE 

ABOUT COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK

Copenhagen Fashion Week is the largest fashion week in the Nordic region held biannually in January/February and August. Each season, Copenhagen Fashion Week welcomes leading international press, buyers and industry leaders across their global network to three days of shows, presentations and events alongside the two trade shows CIFF and Revolver. Sustainability is the core focus for Copenhagen Fashion Week, striving towards making substantial changes to inspire and encourage the industry to take steps towards positive and responsible change. In January 2020, Copenhagen Fashion Week unveiled an ambitious three-year Sustainability Action Plan, presenting an innovative system of minimum requirements for brands to be part of the official schedule as of 2023 (www.copenhagenfashionweek.com).

About the Zalando Sustainability Award Finalists:

ABOUT TG Botanical
TG Botanical, the little sister to TAGO – a Ukrainian clothing line for which technology and nature are in tune. For founder Tatyana Chumak, the creation of this brand was not only an opportunity to keep in touch with the family and their business (her dad has been farming all his life), but also a desire to
show the whole world that locally produced clothes can and should be environmentally friendly.

ABOUT Selam Fessahaye
Swedish-based Selam Fessahaye debuted her first collection at Stockholm Fashion week in 2018 and immediately left a mark on the Scandinavian fashion scene. Her visionary perspectives on design tells an inclusive story while honoring the creations as art. The award winning brand has been called a “Changemaker” providing “The most diversely cast runways in Scandinavian fashion history”.

ABOUT STAMM
STAMM is a Copenhagen-based clothing brand and a unified field that spans across cultures. Founded by Elisabet Stamm who - after many years in the creative space and having put her artistic vision into creating the high fashion streetwear label A.A.Spectrum (2015 - 2020) - decided to launch her namesake (genderfluid) brand combining her cross-cultural interest and embracive character.