Press Release 14.09.2023: We are proud to present the winners of Encouragement for Action 2023!

Established in 2018 by Stockholm Fashion District, Encouragement for Action is an award aimed to promote sustainable development within the fashion industry.

For the sixth year in a row, key members of the textile and fashion industry gathered for an award ceremony to recognize sustainability efforts and innovation within Swedish fashion. The ceremony was held at the beautiful premises of Nobis Hotel in Stockholm. Stockholm Fashion District awarded one winner in each of the four categories; Closing the Loop, Fashion Innovation, Fashion Retail Talks Sustainability and Sustainable Identity. The awards were presented in the company of honored guests and a well-reputed jury including Jennie Rosén (Swedish Fashion Council), Caroline Hamrin (Arkivet), Kajsa Guterstam (Svenska Institutet), Nina Campioni (ELLE), Johan Graffner (Dedicated), Karin Strassburg (Invest Stockholm) and Gabriel Duke (Sveriges textilhandlare), among others.

”The fashion industry is currently undergoing significant changes that require adaptation. One of these changes involves new EU regulations that will permanently shape the industry’s future and impose essential transformation. We want to encourage innovation and support strong driving forces in navigating this transformation, while acknowledging that there is still much to learn. We are honored to present the Encouragement for Action Award to companies and initiatives that we believe are key drivers in providing new ways of thinking and effective solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.”, says Helena Waker, CEO of Stockholm Fashion District.

The theme of this year’s award ceremony and talk was ”Action for Future Change” in the fashion industry. Jennie Rosén, CEO of the Swedish Fashion Council, and Behnaz Aram, Chief Designer Womens at BLK DNM, participated in the talk that was moderated by Philip Warkander, Chairman of the Ethics Council and Assistant Professor at the Swedish School of Textiles.

“Society is currently going through a series of radical transformations – long-term effects of the pandemic, global inflation, the war in Ukraine, and developments in AI technology are all examples of events that are reshaping our world. This will have a strong impact on the fashion industry. What role will fashion play in tomorrow’s society? How can the industry work towards a more sustainable and holistic fashion system? This year’s winners in Encouragement for Action have been selected because they, in different ways, provide answers to these questions”, says Philip Warkander, Assistant Professor at the Swedish School of Textiles and chairman of Encouragement for Action’s ethics council.

ACCESS OUR PRESS KIT HERE: PRESS KIT EFA 2023
Images from the ceremony, press text, logotypes

ABOUT STOCKHOLM FASHION DISTRICT
Stockholm Fashion District is an innovative and unique community and business venue that offers both digital and physical showrooms open 365 days a year. It hosts fashion weeks focused on trade, bringing together Swedish and international brands and buyers, textile events and forums for creativity, as well as offering seminars and workshops for further development. The district attracts annual visits from designers, e-commerce and retail professionals, international delegations, stakeholders, and other fashion enthusiasts.

Read more about Encouragement for Action, the ethical council, and the respective jury groups here.

WINNERS IN THE PHOTO (LEFT TO RIGHT):
Imogo (represented by Linn Brännare from Stockholm Fashion District)
STICA founded by Sustainable Fashion Academy (Michael Schragger)
Brixtol Textiles (Elin Silfvast)
Grandpa (Jonas Pelz and Jonas Skommevik)

PRESS CONTACT
MODIN STUDIO, efa@modinstudio.com

PHOTOGRAPHER
Rasmus Lindahl

WINNER MOTIVATIONS

Winner of Closing the Loop: STICA founded by Sustainable Fashion Academy
Knowledge is power, and together we can bring positive change to the industry. This year’s winner of Closing the Loop unites the industry to create a common voice that is stronger than any individual actor. The company takes collaborative action to achieve the necessary limits for emissions in the textile and fashion industry, as outlined in the Paris Agreement. The winner plays a crucial role in supporting and inspiring producers, brands, and other actors by providing knowledge in a modern and efficient way, guiding them towards a more sustainable direction.

Winner of Sustainable Identity:  Brixtol Textiles
The winner of Sustainable Identity is a company with a brand identity that reflects its solid commitment to sustainability. They repeatedly demonstrate that production can take place under ethical conditions, materials can be environmentally friendly, and fashion standards can remain high with a combination of hard work and confidence in their consumers and abilities. This company’s unwavering attention to detail truly showcases their sustainable identity.

Winner of Fashion Retail Talks Sustainability: Grandpa
The winner of this year’s Fashion Retail Talks Sustainability has a unique perspective on retail, one that differs from most. More than just a store, it is a community at its core. By offering timeless wardrobe pieces with high quality, functionality, and utility, this store provides customers with a sustainable shopping experience. In addition to carefully selected brands, they also offer their own brand which produces on-demand in Sweden. Their sustainability efforts are holistic and extend to the products, customers, and employees alike. In their own words, this community is made up of ”Good People, Good Products, and Good Impact.”

Winner of Fashion Innovation: Imogo
The use and purification of water during dyeing is one of the biggest and most central problems to solve in order to achieve a sustainable textile and fashion industry. The winner of Fashion Innovation offers techniques to efficiently reduce this problem on both large and small scales. Their flexible techniques make it possible to manufacture small volumes, which are more cost-effective and sustainable. Implementing this innovation benefits not only the environment, but also improves profitability and productivity through the significant reduction of waste-water volumes, greatly reduced energy and chemical consumption, increased production speed, and consistent and predictable quality. This company sets a good example for other innovators.