Disruptive sustainable fashion businesses win industry leadership award

Stella McCartney, Raeburn, Bottletop and Outland Denim have been declared by Caroline Rush (Chief Exec, British Fashion Council), Brigitte Stepputtis (Head of Couture, Vivienne Westwood), Dylan Jones (Editor of GQ and Head of London’s Men’s Fashion week) and others, as the sustainable innovators to watch in the fashion industry. They are amongst 10 fashion businesses to gain a place on the prestigious 2019 CO10 – a first-of-its-kind awards campaign run by Common Objective (CO), designed to recognise the leaders and disruptors in the sustainable fashion space.

The CO Leadership Awards are championing the fashion businesses that are pushing the boundaries of creativity, combining great products and services with business practices that change lives and solve environmental challenges. The awards are recognising the trailblazers across the full spectrum of fashion business: brands, suppliers, communities and organisations.

“Sustainability is at the heart of the future of the fashion industry” says Caroline Rush, Chief Exec of British Fashion Council. “To see British designers at the forefront of innovation is inspiring, and champions the kind of creativity and artistry that will drive the industry forward”

CO is a business network that uses technology to drive success in sustainable fashion business, and the CO Leadership Awards celebrates the best of those businesses who are part of the network. The 2019 CO10 are pioneers of business in three dimensions: driving an immense amount of value for people, for the planet, and for profits.

The final CO10 first had to meet a set of leadership criteria based on 6 categories spanning business and sustainability – mission, business model, products/services, impact, and roadmap – before then being presented to a panel of industry experts. Judges hailed from Vogue Australia, GQ, Farfetch, Vivienne Westwood, Roland Mouret, UN Conscious Fashion Campaign, and more.

The full list of judges can be found in the overleaf. In addition to the CO10, 110 other businesses, the 2019 CO Leaders, were also selected by CO’s in-house team and recognised for the role they are playing in driving forward a more sustainable fashion industry.

Tamsin Lejeune, CEO of CO says: “We’re recognising the businesses that are pioneering best practice in the fashion industry, from one end of the supply chain to the other, from established players to new generation innovators. Our goal is to reward the businesses that are taking a leadership role – and encourage others to follow suit. We’ve been delighted by the quality and range of applicants to these inaugural CO awards”

The final 10 businesses that were awarded a CO10 award are:

Raeburn- A British luxury upcycling brand synonymous with design-led upcycling of unconventional materials. Ethos of Remake, Reduce, Recycle.

Osklen – A Brazillian luxury brand, experimental and innovative in it’s approach, with a vision to make Brazil a sustainable development innovation hub.

Stella McCartney – A British luxury brand, data-driven in their sustainability and innovation. Leader of the global sustainable fashion movement.

Bottletop – Accessories brand founded through a design collaboration with Mulberry. Supports artisan makers in Brazil, and educates young people through their foundation.

Indigenous – An established US lifestyle brand, that invests in 1,000+ Peruvian artisan workers by providing microfinance.

Outland Denim – An Australian denim brand championed by the likes of Meghan Markle. Made from 100% organic cotton, their production offers employment and training to vulnerable women.

Mayamiko – Made in Malawi urban youth brand, Mayamiko takes ‘made in Africa’ to the masses. Provides training to local garment workers.

Sonica Sarna Design – High-end artisan producer, including clients such as Mara Hoffman, VFCorp and Whistles.

Ethical Apparel Africa (EAA) – A network of production facilities throughout Africa. Developing communities and enabling market access for African production.

The Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills – The world’s first vertically integrated Fairtrade organic cotton supplier – from yarn to finished product. Leader of sustainable cotton production and manufacturing.

“The CO platform was created to take sustainability in the fashion industry to scale. We are seeing more and more businesses and business leaders taking sustainability seriously, and this has never been more important. The CO awards are putting the spotlight on the visionaries that will drive change – and inspire a new generation of fashion professionals” says Harold Tillman, chairman of CO.