COPENHAGENFASHION SUMMITDENIM CHALLENGE

Production of Denim – the omnipresent fab-ric never having gone out of fashion since first becoming popular during the California Gold Rush of 1849 – is among the world’s most water-intensive processes. So how can we work together to alleviate the footprint of a resource constantly in demand? The Denim Challenge seeks to address this issue.

In partnership with world-leading premi-um denim supplier ISKO™, Danish Fashion Institute is proud to present the Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2016 Denim Challenge. It showcases the best of innovative sustainable denim design from emerging fashion brands produced in denim with industry-leading qualities and techniques. Top international design talents were invited to create one complete outfit in sustainable denim sup-plied and produced by ISKO™.

The participating brands were chosen by a selection committee consisting of Council of Fashion Designers of America, British Fashion Council, Camera Nazionale del-la Moda Italiana, Flanders Fashion Institute and Nordic Fashion Association. A jury con-sisting of international fashion and sustain-ability experts reviewed the designs and chose three outfits to each receive a special mention based on who most successfully merged environmental friendliness with cut-ting-edge design.

Members of the jury included Marco Lucietti from ISKOTM, François Girbaud from Marithé + François Girbaud, Peter Franck from Nudie Jeans, Samuel Trotman from WGSN, Hassan Pierre from Maison de Mode and strategic fashion consultant Peter Ingwersen.

DENIM CHALLENGE

Our hope is not only to present new possi-bilities for sustainable stylishness with denim but to inspire the myriad companies employ-ing the fabric to reinvent their practices for the benefit of the environment. Enjoy the re-sults, and please spread the word about the ideas and techniques used by these innova-tive designers to your own companies and business partners.

PARTICIPATING BRANDS:

Armoire Officielle (DK) Damien Ravn (BE) flavialarocca (IT)Holly Fulton (UK) Naim Josefi (SE)SVILU (US)Tome (US)Twins Florence (IT)Wåven (UK)

DENIM CHALLENGE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: UFFE BUCHARD / DANSK PHOTOGRAPHER: SUNE CZAJKOWSKI / TOMORROW

MANAGEMENT MODELS: AIA BUSK / UNIQUE MODELS & BASTIAN BALD / UNIQUE MODELS STYLIST: CHRISTIAN SCHLEISNER / UNIQUE CREATIVES INTERIOR STYLIST: LEIF SIGERSEN / TOMORROW MANAGEMENT HAIR & MAKE-UP: TROMBORG COORDINATOR: LINE DALGAARD RETOUCH: WERKSTETTE DENIM: ISKOTM SHOES: APAIR

Thank you to ISKOTM and our partners Council of Fashion Designers of America, British Fashion Council, Camera della Moda Italiana, Flanders Fashion Institute and Nordic Fashion Association.

HOLLY FULTON

“Our look was created in line with our AW16 collection based round the work of the surrealist painter David Inshaw and the integration of fully functional utilitarian clothing with our own graphic style… the look reflects our considered yet maximal approach to clothing and reflects our contemporary signature style.”

ARMOIRE OFFICIELLE

“The inspiration for the two designs is the same as our coming

SS17 collection - a collection based on traditions and favorites

that celebrate the beauty of the ordinary. The silhouette mixes the

more traditional use of denim, such as workwear, with references

to traditional suiting.”

NAIM JOSEFI

“I wanted to combine couture with denim in a fresh and new way and

inspire my customer to dress creatively in everyday life. A rough feeling from

the movie Gangs of New York gives the recipient a subconscious boost. The

new way of doing fashion.”

FLAVIALAROCCA

“I decided to play with the denim using two types of

wash from the same article, one of them is laser cut and used inside out to show the other face of

the denim. I always find something fascinating in

the fabric weave.”

TWINS FLORENCE

This outfit is a flashback to the 1940s. A versatile character by adapting features and by transforming the coat into a jumpsuit. A unique uniform of denim with a powerful personality.

SVILU

Inspired by the series of botanical cyanotypes by early

female photographer Anna Atkins, SVILU reimagined

these works on recycled denim. Ghostly white silhouettes of flowers

are set against an indigo background, a nod to the fleeting

and fragile state of our

environment.

WÅVEN

With an emphasis on volume, this outfit explores and creates large, cocooning silhouettes, playing with proportions of pleating, layering and wrapping, a direct reflection of feeling immersed in a large expanse of space.

DAMIEN RAVN

Paying homage to one of the most epic denim moments in history, Britney and Justin’s

VMA outfits in 2001, Damien wanted to merge both outfits

and to distance them from their kitschiness.

TOME

We have reimagined all the essential elements of

our brand in ISKOTM

sustainable denim. We have mixed these elements

in new ways and tapped into all qualities of the denim, various washes

and finishes, fraying and using both sides of the

cloth, a method that we have been using since the

very first collection we ever made.

ARMOIRE OFFICIELLE

COPENHAGENFASHION SUMMITDESIGN CHALLENGE

What is a sustainable wardrobe? There is no single answer to that question because it depends not only on purchasing fashion de-signs with the supply-chains, transportation histories and production methods that have the lowest eco-footprints but also on dura-bility, washing requirements and garments that don’t look dated the next season.

The goal of the Design Challenge is to pro-mote sustainable wardrobes focused on longe vity in terms of design and quality. This can be interpreted as fashion essentials, ba-sics or classics, or as any kind of individual style. Most importantly, a sustainable ward-robe does not contain fast-changing trends or poor-quality products that cannot be worn or cared for sustainably. A sustainable wardrobe contains garments and accesso-ries that reflect the wearer’s own personal style and lasts, both design wise and quality wise, for years or even decades.

H&M and Danish Fashion Institute in partner-ship with Nordic Fashion Association chose some of the Nordic region’s most prominent brands to participate in the 2016 Design Challenge. The participating brands were asked to curate a sustainable wardrobe using two outfits from their own back catalogues.

The designs were reviewed by a jury consis-ting of international fashion and sustain-ability experts. Three outfits have been cho-sen to each receive a special mention based on whether the styles chosen consisted of eco-friendly/certified materials, if they were sourced in environmentally friendly ways, had sustainable wash care instructions, were

DESIGN CHALLENGE

PARTICIPATING BRANDS:

By Malene Birger (DK) byTiMo (NO) House of Dagmar (SE) Filippa K (SE)Mads Nørgaard — Copenhagen (DK)Marimekko (FI)Samuji (FI)Veronica B Vallenes (NO)

cleverly packaged and integrated commu-nication on sustainability or other qualities. Overall, a wardrobe that lasts was the key criteria.

Members of the jury included Catarina Midby from H&M, Kai Margrander from Harper’s Bazaar Germany, Orsola de Castro from Fashion Revolution Day, Amanda Hearst from Maison de Mode, Scott Mackinlay Hahn from Loomstate and Barbara Burchfield from Conscious Commerce.

We hope to inspire you with these examples of fashion brands that push the conversation forward, and also welcome your inputs on what a sustainable wardrobe means to you.

DESIGN CHALLENGE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: KIM GRENAA / DANSK PHOTOGRAPHER: SIGURD GRÜNBERGER MODELS: KIRSTIN / SCOOP MODELS & VICTOR N / SCOOP MODELS STYLIST: ANNE STOCKMANN MAKE-UP: TROMBORG HAIR: LASSE PEDERSEN / AGENTUR CPH RETOUCH: POST STUDIO CARPETS: EGE CARPETS FLOWERS: BLOOMON

Thank you to H&M and our partner Nordic Fashion Association.

VERONICA B VALLENES

“I`ve chosen our part of the collection that we call Time-less Pieces by VBV, which consists of classic, elegant and timeless styles that we continue to sell in every season. All of our production is made at certified factories in Europe, this means a lot for us regarding the CO2, and we have developed a good relationship with the factories.”

FILIPPA K

“Built on a backbone of entrepreneurial strength focused on style, simplicity and quality – our clothes are made to last. The pieces chosen are significant for the different parts of our commitment to making fashion within the planetary boundaries. We want to inspire our users to a carefully curated wardrobe created to last and evolve over time, and be updated in new ways. “

“At House of Dagmar, we categorise sustainability into three pillars: Design, ethics and longevity. We strive to create collections that are long lasting in both

quality and style, using production methods that are both animal and

environmentally friendly. The featured materials include animal friendly fur,

100% mulesing-free merino wool, recycled polyester fibre and hand-made ecological

leather produced through a vegetable tanning process.”

HOUSE OF DAGMAR

BY MALENE BIRGER

By Malene Birger creates wardrobe essentials, sustainable in the sense that they can be worn season after season. Combining quality with enduring design, By Malene Birger designs styles that last – from a classic LBD with a twist to perfect alluring heels or a beautifully tailored suit.

SAMUJI

“Our ambition is to produce timeless and sustainable design that serves a purpose yet carries a story. The chosen looks represent classic Samuji design and have been picked from five different seasons yet they go together seamlessly, building a complete wardrobe. All Samuji products are made out of quality materials and produced with carefully selected manufacturers in Europe who, like us, insist on the highest quality and ethicality.”

MARIMEKKO

Marimekko’s spring/summer 2016 collection reflects Marimekko’s design philosophy: empowering women to walk their own path and bringing joy to everyday moments through timeless and functional designs. The two looks include prints from Marimekko’s in-house printing factory and European renewable wood-based fibres as well as accessories made from vegetable-tanned leather.

MADS NØRGAARD — COPENHAGEN

“At Mads Nørgaard – Copenhagen we want to make beautiful and well-produced clothing, created under

reassuring work conditions that will hopefully last a little bit longer – both in a fashion and durability

sense. This way of thinking about a ‘durable wardrobe’ makes up a permanent part of our work

with each collection… These permanent pieces are a natural and integral part of the collections, a core or,

if you will an anchor.”

BYTIMO

“byTiMo creates high quality and long lasting clothing, in contrast to the waste culture of our time, by using fabrics and dying techniques that are made to last. Our designs are inspired by vintage fashion, ensuring timeless styles that can stay in your wardrobe for years and the factories that produce our clothes work with a strict set of Code of Conduct.”

FILIPPA K