As the world navigates the climate crisis, it's no secret that business-as-usual in the fashion industry is no longer an option. To mitigate some of the excesses of the industry, the annual Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards were founded to celebrate and support designers, creators, thought-leaders and innovators who use best practices to change the way fashion has traditionally used resources.
“The Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards celebrate fashion creatives who implement sustainable, circular and regenerative approaches in their designs,” says Jackie May, founder of Twyg, a not-for-profit platform that inspires people to live today for tomorrow.
“We encourage and foster ethical practices and challenge business-as-usual.”
The award categories reflect different points in the system and recognise the people committed to a sustainable fashion future. There are 10 categories: the Student Award, the Accessory Award, the Innovative Design and Materials Award, the Trans-seasonal Award, the Nicholas Coutts Award, the Retail Award, the Influencer Award, the CMT and Manufacturer Award, the Textile Makers and Mills Award and the Changemaker Award.
Last year, The Herd — a fashion accessory brand centering on cultural sustainability by celebrating the beading culture of Zulu women — won the Nicholas Coutts Award and Changemaker Award. Founded and directed by Mbali Mthethwa, The Herd is inspired by the beadwork of Nguni women and creates accessories rich in storytelling.
“Globally, fashion is a major industry,” says Mthethwa. “It's a huge contributor to pollution and exploitation of natural resources. So the importance of sustainability is to create awareness for alternative solutions. This creates a new way of life that holds everyone accountable for how things are made and how they're consumed.”
Talking about Twyg and the annual awards, Mthethwa says: “The awards are inclusive. Representation matters. People who enter don’t need to worry about how many followers they have or how well known they are, it’s about the work they do."
This year, the awards team welcomes a new panel of judges with a strong global perspective. With wide-ranging and multidisciplinary expertise, they offer an outlook that matches the calibre of the “changemakers” inspired to enter the 2022 awards. The seven members include Nisha Kanabar, founder of Industrie Africa; Mimma Viglezio, Swiss creative consultant, writer, editor, and broadcaster; Esethu Cenga, cofounder and CEO at Rewoven; Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Style House Files and Lagos Fashion Week; Dr Sipho Mbatha, head of the department for design studies at Tshwane University of Technology; Fabia Pryor, brand sustainability manager at Country Road; and Sharon Armstrong, fashion director at Wanted, Sunday Times Lifestyle and Sowetan S Mag.
The first Twyg Awards was held in 2019. Each year, it cements itself as a pioneering event in the South African sustainable fashion industry with support from key sponsors and partners. This year's event includes Country Road, Mount Nelson, Curbon, Levi’s SA, Petco SA, Hotel Verde, Cape Heritage Hotel, British Council #SouthernAfricaArts, Goethe Institute, Sunday Times LifeStyle and Eco Standard SA.
For the third consecutive year, Country Road has offered a cash prize of R100,000 for the Changemaker winner. “With our level of commitment to sustainability, it's important that we collaborate with platforms in South Africa working towards the same vision to support and promote responsible fashion practices. Over the past two years, our partnership with Twyg has allowed us to support emerging designers who are driving innovation in the fashion industry. We look forward to seeing this year’s Changemaker Award nominees,” says Pryor.
The winner of the Nicholas Coutts Award receives R10,000 from his family. All category winners receive an assessment from Eco Standard SA.
Twyg has been at the forefront of sustainability in the South African fashion industry for several years. Using storytelling, bespoke experiences, workshops, campaigns and the annual awards, Twyg promotes a way of being that's sustainable, circular, regenerative, and ethical.
“We focus on what it means to transition to sustainability in a South African context,” says May. “A more just fashion future is in reach. We need look no further than our local talent to see this future taking shape.”
ENTRIES ARE OPEN
Twyg calls on designers, companies and innovators working to improve the environment and the wellbeing of the people living in it to enter.
The fourth annual edition of the awards is open for entries and the ceremony will be held at the Mount Nelson Hotel in November.
Submit your entry at twyg.co.za/awards. Closing date for entries is October 11. For more info, email awards@twyg.co.za
THE JURY FOR 2022
NISHA KANABAR
Kanabar is a curator, storyteller and founder of Industrie Africa. From Tanzania, Kanabar graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York and went on to forge a career in luxury fashion and publishing.
MIMMA VIGLEZIO
Viglezio is a Swiss creative consultant, writer, editor, and broadcaster. She has worked for Hill & Knowlton, consulted with Bulgari and Celine, been a communications director at Louis Vuitton and worked with the Gucci Group. She was editor-in-chief of Lula magazine, then editor-in-chief of SHOWstudio and, until recently, editor-in-chief of Tomorrow London Digital. In January 2010 she decided to pursue an independent career where she mainly advises young designers and start-ups on product, business, strategy, and investment opportunities.
ESETHU CENGA
Cenga is cofounder and CEO at Rewoven and cofounder and director at Future of Fashion. Originally from the Eastern Cape, she moved to Cape Town in 2013 to study at UCT. Through her studies in politics, philosophy, and economics and development economics, Cenga began to gain a holistic understanding of what globalisation means in an African context. Since completing her studies, she has been driven to create meaningful change through her start-up Rewoven.
OMOYEMI AKERELE
A former magazine editor with multiple law degrees, Akerele established the fashion business development agency Style House Files. Akerele has advocated on behalf of African creatives and nurtures, develops and promotes the continent's fashion industry. She established the biannual Lagos Fashion Week which presents African designers in Nigeria and beyond. Through this platform, Akerele launched Woven Threads to protect craftsmanship in communities, and Green Access to emphasise the need for fashion to be designed with resource efficiency, biodegradability, longevity and recyclability in mind.
DR SIPHO MBATHA
Mbatha is senior lecturer and head of the department for design studies at Tshwane University of Technology. He has a D-tech in fashion design, and M-tech (cum laude), and B-tech (cum laude) from TUT and has facilitated teaching and learning at various South African universities for 12 years. Mbatha is an editorial board member of the Journal of Science, Technology, Public Policy and a reviewer for the African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Development.
FABIA PRYOR
Pryor is brand sustainability manager at Country Road. For more than 15 years, she has worked around the world championing good business. She is a recognised sustainability strategist, spokesperson and international educator. At Country Road, Pryor leads the brand’s responsible business journey and community partnerships. She has been instrumental in the launch of the company'stransparency project, aimed at sharing the supply chain traceability of products and showcasing their sustainability and craftsmanship attributes.
SHARON ARMSTRONG
For more than two decades, Armstrong’s astute styling has graced the pages of a range of publications such as Elle, Glamour and Marie Claire. She has collaborated with luxury brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. She is the fashion director at Wanted, Sunday Times LifeStyle and Sowetan S Mag. Armstrong also edits the fashion magazine, The Edit.
• Enter by clicking here. The deadline is October 11. For more details, email awards@twyg.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.