Circular Fashion Summit (CFS), the world’s largest annual VR gathering in fashion, was created to accelerate the actions and transition towards the digitized circular economy of the industry, and inspire innovation, creating positive change through design, technology, and sustainability. A massive component of implementing this change is empowering the next generation of designers and thinkers. That’s where our Impact Design Hub program comes in. This year, ten emerging global designers were chosen for the one million euro program, which includes exhibiting at CFS 2021 from 9-12 December.

This year, Impact Design Hub is supported by CLO, the leading 3D fashion design software program creating virtual, true-to-life garment visualization with cutting-edge simulation technologies for fashion. The CFS 2021 Impact Top Ten brands include Auroboros, Miss Sohee, Nous Étudions, untitlab, Joao Maraschin, TOMBOGO, Against Medical Advice, Tokyo James, GRACE LING, and Aleksandre Akhalkatsishvili, a curation lead by Alexia Planas Lee, Head of Impact Design and Innovation at CFS. The finalists are based globally—from London, to South Korea, to Argentina, to Nigeria. During the dates of the summit from 10—12 December, attendees will have 2 times slots everyday to visit and meet impact designers “in person” from 9:00-11:00 CET and 16:00-18:00 CET at “CFS hubs” area.

“The focus of this year’s Impact Design Hub is ‘Redesigning Society’. In line with our efforts to redesign the fashion industry system, shifting towards digitization and circular business models collectively, we put emphasis on brands that stood out for their unconventional and forward-thinking methods, evolving the role of fashion as a force for good. ” — Alexia Planas Lee, Head of Impact Design and Innovation, CFS

For London-based Auroboros, founded by creative directors Paula Sello and Alissa Aulbekova last year, this looks like utilizing AR technology and 3D scanning. Creating made-to-order physical artwear and digital fashion inspired by the pieces, the brand is blazing a trail for digital fashion. “Auroboros re-imagines a more utopian future industry and society where all can partake in creativity whilst being ecologically positive,” says the founders. 

South Korean-born, London-based Sohee Park, founder of Miss Sohee, says this more sustainable future could look like ”garments treated like jewellery, passed on from mother to daughter”. For Vegan footwear brand untitlab, this also includes transparency, showing his customers the journey of his products.

As with all of CFS’s program, each designer’s approach to sustainability includes social and human rights. Brazil-based community-led designer Joao Maraschin works with artisans to repurpose waste, deadstock and fishnets, integrating older women into his supply chain as well as inspiring younger generations to preserve techniques. “My purpose of making fashion is not to make the next dress but to change how we work with people,” he says. 

Argentinian brand Nous Etudions works with the indigenous people of South America, the Wichi community,  by introducing them to new technical materials. “Redesigning society for me is to balance the value of ancient techniques with new technologies, giving value and respect for all living things,” says Nous Etudions founder Romina Cardillo. 

Another finalist Wole Olosunde, a nurse and founder of the brand Against Medical Advice, uses clothing to start a conversation around healthcare and touch on current healthcare issues. "Society itself has been redesigned over the past year by a global pandemic that I have been on the front line fighting hands on,” says Olosunde. “Constantly serving the community as an Emergency room Nurse, I've been able to treat underserved patient populations and then use that as influence to create art that will help amplify their voices."

Being part of the CFS 2021 program, each honoree will receive €100,000 in materials, manufacturing, consultancy, and mentorship from a global family of cross-industry partners, including Kering Group, that will be providing materials from the “Materials Innovation Lab”, an Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, a subscription to 3D fashion software CLO, and 12 months premium subscription to lablaco's LPLUS - the circular retail system, to instantly pilot and activate a digitized and connected fashion collection.

They’ll also be presenting and showcasing at the Circular Fashion Summit 2021 at Impact Design Hub, taking place in December 2021, from 9 — 12 December, at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Virtual Reality.