Top 5 causes honoured at the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards

Last Sunday, the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards ceremony, the gala evening organized by the National Chamber for Italian Fashion, took place at La Scala Theatre. For many of Milan's residents, the evening meant only the closure of Piazza della Scala to traffic, but in reality this reunion of the entire Milanese and international fashion elite, with its deluge of celebrities and representatives of institutions, is very important to promote, even among the highest circles of industry, a commitment to sustainability in all its forms: from innovation to reduce the impact of fashion on the planet and circularity to a commitment to craftsmanship, from the recognition of differences to respect for human rights. Heir to the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, the ceremony on 25 September aims to institutionalize, and of course reward, a range of practices and initiatives that industry leaders are putting into practice - an example for the entire industry. While the main award of the evening went to Giorgio Armani, who received it from the hands of his muse Cate Blanchett for his philanthropic efforts, research into sustainable materials, initiatives to reduce waste and the longevity of his designs, the remaining awards presented during the evening shed important light on other sustainable practices.

1. Regenerative agriculture

Gucci received the award in the Climate Action category, thanks to its partnership with the Uruguayan company La Soledad, one of the 10 farms involved in the project launched by Gucci in Uruguay in collaboration with Chargeurs Luxury Fibers, which works according to the principles of regenerative agriculture and through the NATIVA™ Regenerative Agriculture project will bring Gucci 50 tonnes per year of sustainable wool starting next January.

2. Ocean Literacy

The Oceans Award was presented to Patrizio Bertelli for his commitment with Sea Beyond, Prada's Re-Nylon project in collaboration with UNESCO, an educational program aimed at a network of international secondary schools to educate on the preservation of the sea, the diffusion of ocean literacy and which is entirely supported by proceeds from the sales of the Prada Re-Nylon collection, the regenerated nylon product line born in 2019. Throughout the year, Prada and UNESCO involved teachers and students from ten schools in Brazil, China, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, South Africa and the UK in webinars led by UNESCO experts on the most urgent challenges to be addressed to ensure the preservation of the oceans, giving students access to virtual reality content related to the initiative and launching a competition for the 10 participating schools, which were awarded on 29 June involving also 13,000 Prada Group employees.

3. Re-forestation 

The Biodiversity Conservation Award was presented to Ermenegildo Zegna by Teddy Quinlivan to reward an extraordinary reforestation project in the Valdilana mountains. It is called Foresta Zegna and it is an ambitious long-term program for the protection of the environment in the Oasi Zegna, where, at the beginning of the 20th century, 500,000 conifers were planted by Ermenegildo himself to revive an arid and over-exploited stretch of mountain terrain. With the selective felling of a forest tract of about 16 hectares in critical condition, new species of trees better suited to the current climatic conditions were gradually reintroduced to grow healthy and strong.

   4. Promoting Italian artisanal brands 

The Craft & Italian Artisanship Award was presented by Simone Marchetti to Leo Rongone for the Bottega for Bottega Veneta project, an initiative that celebrates and promotes Italian artisans. On the occasion of the Christmas holidays, the brand promoted several bottegas, historical and often family-run businesses that are synonymous with Italian and creative excellence in the world: from Krumiri biscuits born in Domenico Rossi's kitchen shortly after the Unification of Italy, to the creations of Alessandro Respighi and Daniele Accardo, drums made with the same care as a tailor-made suit, and much more.

5. Circularity

Mariano Alonso and Nick Barber honoured Andrew Morlet and Toni Garrn with The Ellen MacArthur Foundation Award for the Timberloop circular economy project. The Timberloop Tracker City Hikers perfectly encapsulate the soul of the project: footwear made to be taken apart so that every component can be reused to create a new product. Faithful to the idea that the best way to spread an idea is to behave in a manner consistent with what one believes in, Timberland has set itself ambitious goals related to the sustainability and environmental impact of its products, starting from their manufacture, and has set 2020 as the deadline for the realisation of the points of this green programme: from the use of 100% eco-friendly cotton and leather to the total abandonment of PVC, and the decision to plant 10 million new trees within the next two years.