The challenge to reduce waste from supply chain through upcycling material cut-offs just got a boost as the GFA Designer Challenge 2023 unveiled the journeys of designers from Puma and Collina Strada—their sustainable design processes from original idea to final product.
- Heiko Desens, Global Creative Director of Puma, partnered with designer Nicole McLaughlin, to creatively find solutions to the challenge of reducing waste from the supply chain through upcycling material cut-offs.
- The challenge 'Sweep the Factory Floor' spans McLaughlin's New York Studio and the Puma headquarters in Bayern, Germany to show the creatives at work.
- The video 'Reimagining the Use of Materials for Bags' follows Hillary Taymour, Creative Director of Collina Strada, in New York as she tackles the challenge surrounding materials, bringing in solution-led insights from Renewcell’s Circulose team in Sweden.
- Taymour uses the innovative material to reimagine a handbag with vibrant prints and colours that would not have been achievable with leather.
- Circulose offers a new material made by recycling cotton from worn-out clothes and production waste. With at least two-thirds of a brand's environmental footprint attributed to its choice of raw materials, fabrics such as Circulose offer an alternative to high-impact virgin fossil-fuel-based materials. The material was produced by the fabric mill Beste.
- The GFA Designer Challenges with Puma and Collina Strada will be showcased at the leading forum of sustainability in fashion, Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition on 27–28 June in an interactive showcase.
- Continuing the impact of the GFA Designer Challenge, a third film that follows Julius Juul, Global Creative Director of Scandinavian brand Heliot Emil, will also be released in September 2023.
- The Global Fashion Summit is a leading global forum for sustainability in fashion and is organised by the Global Fashion Agenda — a nonprofit working towards accelerating the transition to a net positive fashion industry.
WHAT THEY SAID:
With the environmental impact of a garment largely determined in its design phase, design decisions have the power to significantly influence resource use, purchasing and usage behaviour. Our GFA Designer Challenge is therefore intended to fuse talented creatives with promising innovations and we are honored to have the support of key partners to make this year's challenge even more impactful.
— Federica Marchionni
Chief Executive Officer
Global Fashion Agenda
Taking part in the GFA designer challenge is a great platform to share our concept 'sweep the factory floor' and to receive honest feedback. Most importantly, it's an opportunity to inspire others to be bold in finding solutions to waste. We've found this challenge to be unpredictable, yet invigorating, resulting in unique designs. At PUMA we are constantly striving to do better through collaboration, which is key to pushing the boundaries with innovation. We're excited to build on what we've started with Nicole McLaughlin and look forward to sharing the journey. There's only one forever, let's make it better.
— Heiko Desens
Global Creative Director
Puma Group
Through sustainable fashion, we piece together a world where beauty meets responsibility. Each product becomes a testament to our commitment to create a better future for generations to come. I am excited to team up with the GFA to work on such a special project.
— Hillary Taymour
Creative Director
Collina Strada
As a licensed brand, we have to find creative ways to engage with our stakeholders and get their support to join our Future Positive initiative. The designer challenge is perfectly in line with our objectives and values, it resonates with the creative leaders we partner with and I was super excited when the team at global fashion agenda proposed us to be part of the project.
— Nicolas Loufrani
Chief Engagement Officer
Smiley
