Man-Made Cellulosic Fibers Take Stage At Challenge The Fabric 2025
The Challenge The Fabric [CTF] Award 2025 was a showcase of groundbreaking and innovative designs from emerging talents who reimagined the potential of man-made cellulosic fibers [MMCF] in fashion. This year's fifth edition, held in the center of Milan at the Palazzo Giureconsulti, challenged seven finalists to create one look each using 10 meters of MMCF fabric provided by leading sustainable material partners from all over the fashion industry. The event highlighted how these young designers are pushing the boundaries of sustainable fashion through material innovation, creativity, and responsible sourcing, giving light to the possibilities for alternative processes.
The fifth edition of The Challenge The Fabric Award, held at Milan's Palazzo Giureconsulti, tasked seven emerging designers with creating one look each using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric. The Milan competition challenged seven young designers to create looks using sustainable wood-based fabrics. These man-made fibers, like lyocell and viscose, offer a greener alternative to synthetic materials. The event highlighted how new talent is pushing fashion toward more environmentally friendly solutions.
Man-made cellulosic fibers (MMCF) are typically derived from renewable sources that include wood pulp, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional synthetic fibers. Sourced responsibly and processed with eco-friendly methods, MMCFs like viscose, lyocell, and modal significantly reduce fashion's environmental carbon footprint.
The fifth edition of The Challenge The Fabric Award, held at Milan's Palazzo Giureconsulti, tasked seven emerging designers with creating one look each using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric. The Milan competition challenged seven young designers to create looks using sustainable wood-based fabrics. These man-made fibers, like lyocell and viscose, offer a greener alternative to synthetic materials. The event highlighted how new talent is pushing fashion toward more environmentally friendly solutions.
These fibers are biodegradable, breathable, and versatile, making them ideal for high-performance and luxury fashion applications. The CTF Award has emphasized the importance of responsible production, encouraging designers to work with partners who prioritize sustainable forestry and closed-loop chemical processing for the next generation of designers.
The fifth edition of The Challenge The Fabric Award, held at Milan's Palazzo Giureconsulti, tasked seven emerging designers with creating one look each using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric.
The seven finalists each partnered with an MMCF innovation leader to create a single, unique outfit and sustainable design. Their work demonstrated the material's adaptability across different fashion disciplines, and a range of fibers available for fashion creatives to work with, creating avant-garde sculptural pieces to refined tailored looks.
Petra Fagerström, the winner of the $10,000 prize, collaborated with Sappi Verve & Ecocell using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric. These man-made fibers, like lyocell and viscose, offer a greener alternative to synthetic materials. The event highlighted how new talent is pushing fashion toward more environmentally friendly solutions.
Petra Fagerström, the winner of the $10,000 prize, collaborated with Sappi Verve & Ecocell to create a look that impressed the jury with its innovation, commercial potential, and future impact. The Swedish designer is known for her experimental approach to textiles, and her winning design reinforced MMCF's potential in high-fashion storytelling.
Ellen Hodakova Larsson [2nd right], founder and creative director of HODAKOVA; Martina Tiefenthaler [2nd left], creative director and creative consultant; Serge Carreira [right], director of the emerging brands initiative at Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode [FHCM]; Gia Kuan [left] of Gia Kuan Consulting, and Riccardo Turrisi [center], the sustainable innovation manager at Kering.
The jury for the CTF Award 2025 consists of distinguished professionals from the fashion and luxury sectors. They included Aldo Camillo Gotti, the chief executive of luxury and fashion retail, Andrea Rosso, sustainability ambassador at Diesel, and creative director of Diesel Living. Also on the roster are Ellen Hodakova Larsson, founder and creative director of HODAKOVA; Martina Tiefenthaler, creative director and creative consultant; Serge Carreira, director of the emerging brands initiative at Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode [FHCM]; Gia Kuan of Gia Kuan Consulting, and Riccardo Turrisi, the sustainable innovation manager at Kering. Together, they brought a wealth of expertise in design, sustainability, brand strategy, and innovation to the judging panel.
Petra Fagerström; The fifth edition of The Challenge The Fabric Award, held at Milan's Palazzo Giureconsulti, tasked seven emerging designers with creating one look each using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric. The competition showcased groundbreaking designs that reimagined MMCF.
Petra Fagerström is pioneering sustainable fashion design with her innovative use of eco-conscious materials and experimental textile techniques. Her award-winning work has earned prestigious accolades including the Hyères Festival Sustainability Award, Chanel Atelier des Matières Prize, and L'Oréal Professional Creatives Award.
A Central Saint Martins graduate, Fagerström gained early recognition as an ITS [International Talent Support] 2022 finalist for her Parsons Paris collection, featuring lenticular pleating and military-inspired designs. Her boundary-pushing approach to responsible fashion continues to set new standards in the industry.
The fifth edition of The Challenge The Fabric Award, held at Milan's Palazzo Giureconsulti, tasked seven emerging designers with creating one look each using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric. The competition showcased groundbreaking designs that reimagined MMCF.
The finalists also included LOUTHER, founded by Olympia Schiele, who partnered with HerMin Textile, explored intimate, sculptural forms, blending her background in product design and photography to create a garment that challenged conventional silhouettes. NUBA, designed by Cameron Williams, working with Birla Cellulose, merged cultural heritage with contemporary tailoring, proving that MMCF can uphold tradition and modernity in menswear. Williams' design fused virgin wool with the Birla cellulose fiber to create a structural cape and gown look ready for a red carpet moment.
Oscar Ouyang, in collaboration with Eastman Naia™ Renew, fused East Asian heritage with London's urban energy, demonstrating how MMCF knitwear can carry cultural narratives while remaining innovative through the 'Saint Martins alum's perspective. SHAN HUQ, paired with Lenzing Group, showcased structured, precision-cut designs, reinforcing MMCF's potential in luxury ready-to-wear.
Oscar Ouyang; The fifth edition of The Challenge The Fabric Award, held at Milan's Palazzo Giureconsulti, tasked seven emerging designers with creating one look each using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric. The competition showcased groundbreaking designs that reimagined MMCF.
Women's History Museum, working with Circ x PYRATEX, explored historical garment references, proving that sustainable materials can be used in archival-inspired, artistic fashion. Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen, in partnership with CIRCULOSE x SINOTECO, embraced a pre-industrial aesthetic, using discarded textiles to create sculptural, body-conscious designs that challenged modern garment construction.
The fifth edition of The Challenge The Fabric Award, held at Milan's Palazzo Giureconsulti, tasked seven emerging designers with creating one look each using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric. The competition showcased groundbreaking designs that reimagined MMCF.
"Pre-industrial aesthetics,' Anna Whalen mentions and further explains her Victorian-inspired design. 'I believe historical garment references can still be practical. They represent how we have interacted with clothing for centuries. Contemporary fashion relies on standardized patterns and silhouettes - that's how all clothing today gets made. But my practice exclusively examines pre-Industrial Revolution shapes and my intuitive understanding of body form.'
Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen; The fifth edition of The Challenge The Fabric Award, held at Milan's Palazzo Giureconsulti, tasked seven emerging designers with creating one look each using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric. The competition showcased groundbreaking designs that reimagined MMCF.
She continues, 'I've developed my own pattern-making system - my own logic for garment creation. This proposes an alternative to modern fashion thinking - one that's more holistically sustainable. It's not just about changing materials, but transforming how we relate to what we wear and how we conceive clothing for the body."
Hosted by Ekman Group and organized with the Swedish Fashion Council, the CTF 2025 design competition was a cross-industry initiative to accelerate the adoption of biobased and recycled materials into larger markets. The two-day event included a symposium on MMCF innovation, where experts discussed sustainable sourcing, circularity, and supply chain transparency through panels and speaking presentations.
Oscar Ouyang; The fifth edition of The Challenge The Fabric Award, held at Milan's Palazzo Giureconsulti, tasked seven emerging designers with creating one look each using 10 meters of sustainably sourced MMCF fabric. The competition showcased groundbreaking designs that reimagined MMCF.
By connecting emerging designers with leading material suppliers, CTF fosters long-term partnerships that drive real change in the fashion industry. The competition also provided a platform for material innovators to showcase their latest developments, from closed-loop lyocell to recycled cellulose fibers.
With support from industry leaders like Lenzing Group, Birla Cellulose, and Sappi Verve, the CTF Award 2025 proved that MMCF is an alternative material for the future of fashion. On display were luxury tailoring and avant-garde sculptural pieces, showcasing the capacity for architectural approaches with eco-conscious, high-performance textiles. As Petra Fagerström's win demonstrates, the fusion of innovation, sustainability, and artistry can redefine fashion's relationship with man-made cellulosic fibers.
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