CFDA/Lexus Eco-Fashion Challenge unveils winning sustainable collections at New York Fashion Week

The winning designers of the 2nd annual Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)/Lexus Eco-Fashion Challenge unveiled their sustainable clothing and accessory collections at MADE at Milk Studios as part of New York Fashion Week. The show was
attended by fashion editors and buyers who viewed eco-friendly designs from this year’s three competition winners - Marcia Patmos of New York, John Bartlett of New York and Johnson Hartig from Los Angeles.

Each winning designer developed a clothing or accessory line demonstrating a commitment to ecologically responsible design. A minimum 25 per cent of the collection had to be produced in an environmentally friendly manner. Many of the competition proposals included components such as recycled plastic, reclaimed wood, minimal packaging, and non-chemically treated fabrics.

Winner Marcia Patmos incorporated multiple sustainable ideas into her designs, including zero-waste technology in her garment production, sourcing vegetable-tanned leather, and using animal-friendly faux fur. Designer John Bartlett’s 'Future-Rustic' collection was fabricated almost entirely in cruelty free, animal-free materials such as plant-based fabrics, organic cottons, and recycled synthetic materials, while winner Johnson Hartig, co-designer of the Libertine clothing line, also showed his eco-friendly fashions.

“Seeing the winning collections come to life on the runway is truly a thrill for us at Lexus,” stated Brian Smith, Vice-President of marketing for Lexus. “By partnering with the CFDA to create the Eco-Fashion Challenge, Lexus is encouraging sustainable lifestyles that don’t sacrifice style or luxury. We’re proud to support these industry thought-leaders as they share our passion for accelerating change in their respective field.”

The three winners each received $25,000 to support development of their collections. The proposals were selected by a panel of judges including Simon Collins (Parsons the New School For Design), Zanna Roberts Rossi (Marie Claire), Scott Hahn (Rogan/Loomstate), Julie Gilhart (consultant), Steven Kolb (CFDA) and Lisa Smilor (CFDA). Entries were selected based on design credibility, business acumen and eco-commitment, with attention focused on eco-fabrics, materials, processes and packaging.

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