CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards 2022

Michelangelo Pistoletto, through the symbol of trinamics, explains how at the center of the infinite there is the finite, there is life. The third circle, or third paradise, that appears through this depiction is the symbol of two worlds colliding and finding a new balance: one which reconciles nature with artifice.

In a world where the pursuit of sustainable consumption seems to be an eternal struggle where the two words appear to be nothing but oxymoronic, Michele Pistoletto’s design is a message of hope and awareness able to inspire many, and Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana is no exception.

Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), in collaboration with the Ethical Fashion Initiative of the United Nations, has organized the press conference for the presentation of the ceremony of the 2022 CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards, which was held on 25th September 2022 at La Scala Theatre in Milan, at the end of the Milano Fashion Week.

The fifth edition of this event, hosted by Rossy de Palma, was dedicated to recognizing the efforts made by certain brands and designers to make a conscious step toward the Third Paradise.

Throughout the evening 12 different awards were given out, in recognition of the spectrum that the concept of sustainability implies.

To measure the sustainability of the sector and to establish the awards, a preliminary due diligence table was appointed, and then nominees were chosen in collaboration with an Advisory Committee made up of non-profit organizations.

The panel of judges was chaired by none other than Carlo Capasa, Simone Cipriani and Dame Ellen McArthur, founder of the Ellen McArthur Foundation, with whom CNMI collaborates to redesign the fashion industry.

The event, third and last step of the project, after the dinner in Venice on the occasion of the Venice International Film Festival and the Institutional Dinner in New York on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly, began with cocktails and a “red” carpet, which for this event was actually green and made out of recycled fishnets collected from the world’s oceans.

The second, and main part of the evening, debuted with a breathtaking performance by the dancers of the Scala and a speech by Dame Ellen McArthur:

I am thrilled to be here at The Sustainable Fashion Awards and would like to begin by thanking Camera della Moda for inviting me to contribute on behalf of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and for appointing me as chair of the jury for these awards.

This global event highlights creatives’ outstanding contributions and formidable efforts to design a fashion industry that is better for people and the environment. It is no easy task, the fashion industry is on a journey and whilst there is a long way to go, the steps that are being taken demonstrate important momentum, and should be celebrated and showcased so that others are inspired to take action. 

Such action is crucial to address the global challenges we all face today, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution.”

– Dame Ellen MacArthur, Founder and Chair of Trustees – Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Then, the worthy winners were invited to the stage to collect their prizes:

• Timberland, for The Circular Economy award;
• Nkwo Onwuka, for the Bicester Collection award for Emerging designers;
• The Ermenegildo Zegna Group, for the Biodiversity Conservation award;
• La Soledad x Gucci, for the Climate Action Award
• Bottega Venetia, for The Craft and Italian Artisanship award;
• Rubana Hug, for The Human Rights award;
• Prada, for The Oceans award;
• The OTB Foundation, for The Philanthropy and Society award;
• Ara Lumiere, for The Social Impact award;
• Sease, for The Woolmark Company award for Innovation;
• Grounded Indigio by Albini_Next and Stony Creek Colours, for The Groundbreaker award;
• Armani, for The Visionary award.

The evening was a celebration of nature, art, and the hard work of all people who have made the health of our planet and society their own responsibility.

Although the efforts made by the winners and nominees are true and meaningful, the prizes aren’t to be considered as finish lines. The event and the organizer’s objective is, in fact, to incentivize brands, designers and companies, and people, inside and outside of the fashion industry alike, to strive toward Michele Pistoletto’s Third Paradise, and embrace a new “fashion” of living.