Nolcha’s Ethical Fashion Forum winners get crowned.

Following the success of the Innovation Awards in the UK, 2011 marked the launch of Innovation USA in partnership with Nolcha, “allowing the Ethical Fashion Forum to take their support of sustainable design to a transatlantic level.”

The EFF, a group dedicated to sustainable fashion, offers recognition to emerging designers and businesses within the ethical fashion sector. This year, the winners included Carrie Parry, Afia and Soham Dave, all fashion industry pioneers leading progress in the ethical fashion industry.

Nolcha says the winners have been selected “for demonstrating progressive attitudes towards social and environmental sustainability alongside their innovative approach to design – communicating that fashion and fairness are no longer mutually exclusive concepts.”

Each designer now receives one year in Showroom International/Bel Esprit  as well as a promotional and support package from the EFF, including access to all information on their SOURCE Intelligence Magazine and a listing on their SOURCE Database.

We caught up with all three winners at Nolcha’s Fashion Week, in the Metropolitan Pavilion to see their spring/summer ’12 collections.

Carrie Parry

A graduate of the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London, Carrie Parry was already honored with the Ethical Fashion Forum’s 2011 Innovation Award. Her eponymous line was “born from a passion for producing garments that never go out of style and a commitment to responsible sources and practices.”

Carrie Parry not only produces ethically and locally in the New York Garment District, she continues to source environmentally conscious materials and textiles supporting artisanal communities worldwide.

Afia

Meghan Sebold’s Afia is a sustainable women’s apparel line that does double time as a social business that “acts as a vehicle for economic mobility and wealth creation for women in Ghana by connecting their craft to the American market,” not to mention a stylish women’s line based in New York.

Sebold says her textiles are purchased from small vendors and sewn by Ghanaian seamstresses paid a fair wage. For women in the U.S., Afia offers transparency in the production process and an option for clothing that is stylish, affordable, and sustainably made.

We personally love how she marries colors, patterns, and West African motifs to urban American trends in a twist she calls “urban indigenous.”

Soham Dave

Hand dyed organic cotton, embroidery, hand block printing meet hand spun and hand woven cloth to create a stunning line of caftans, gauzy dresses and tailored tops for Soham Dave’s spring ’12 collection.

Amongst the many noteworthy attributes when it comes to ethical practices, Soham Dave helps local artisans who adopt traditional eco-friendly production techniques and fair trade to create a contemporary range of lifestyle products for the urban consumer.

Soham Dave focuses primarily on using biodegradable fabrics, recycled materials, and hand embroideries.

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