Ask any sustainable fashion expert how to fix the industry and they will likely tell you the solutions already exist, it’s just a matter of scaling them. That’s the founding principle behind the annual Trailblazer Award, a partnership between non-profit Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), manufacturing group PDS, and its investment arm PDS Ventures, which recognizes early-stage companies working with nature, closed-loop pathways, and tech-powered transformation.
The GFA announced this year’s finalists today, during the first day of its annual Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen. The line-up consists of Synflux, which is tackling waste in pattern-cutting; MacroCycle, which recycles polyester-rich textiles; and Fibe, which creates natural fibers from agricultural waste. Selected by jury members representing Kering, Ralph Lauren and Zalando, as well as MIT, Fashion for Good, Pepper-i2 and PDS, the shortlist is an insight into what industry leaders value today, and where sustainability is heading.
The Trailblazer Award finalists are “proof that the solutions already exist”, says GFA CEO Federica Marchionni. “There are plenty of solutions, but we need more commitment and investment to scale them. Adoption is really crucial.” Alongside an investment package worth up to $200,000, the winner will get access to advisory, commercial, and operational support from PDS and its subsidiaries.
“The world is going through so much turmoil, and unfortunately sustainability has taken a backseat,” says PDS co-founder and executive chair Pallak Seth. “But there is still a big requirement for the world to move into a more sustainable space, and keep that innovation pipeline alive. We have to assess innovations in terms of what is practically possible. So many require a lot of capital investment and infrastructure to scale, even if they look great on paper. With this year’s award, we are more focused on solutions that use current infrastructure, improving productivity and efficiency without costing too much money, because they are more likely to succeed.”
The winner will be announced on Thursday during the Global Fashion Summit. In the meantime, Vogue Business sat down with the three finalists.
Synflux
The fashion industry wastes an exorbitant amount of fabric each year, but Japanese startup Synflux is on a mission to change that. Laser-focused on the cutting process, Synflux uses AI-powered algorithms to find the most efficient tessellation of pattern pieces. “In just 10 minutes, our system can test over 100 design variations, reducing textile waste by up to 66% and fabric consumption by up to 15%, with no changes to the design and no threat to the quality,” says CEO Kazuya Kawasaki.
Synflux CEO Kazuya Kawasaki.Photo: Synflux
