There’s no denying that creating a more sustainable future for the fashion industry means empowering innovative and emerging designers to build a collective circular fashion system. That’s why lablaco’s Circular Fashion Summit, the world’s first-ever virtual-reality fashion summit, has opened applications for their third Impact Design Hub initiative, bringing together a curated selection of 10 international avant-garde designers.

The focus of this year’s Impact Design Hub is ‘Redesigning Society.’ In line with efforts to redesign the fashion industry system, this includes accelerating digitization and shifting to circular business models collectively. It encompasses a range of solutions from upcycling, adaptive fashion, digital twins, and beyond, evolving the role of fashion as a force for good.

The one million euro program for the ten honorees, includes exhibiting at CFS 2021, taking place in October 2021 at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Virtual Reality for Paris Fashion Week. The Impact Design Hub honorees will receive €100,000 each in materials, consultancy, and mentorship from a global family of cross-industry partners (including an Oculus Quest2 headset (woohoo!), a subscription to 3D fashion software CLO, and 12 months premium subscription to lablaco's LPLUS).

To enter, designers must have their own independent, registered brand that has launched at least one collection. Applicants must also fall under one or more of the following Impact Design Criteria: materials, process, planet, or people.

The impact of last year’s Impact Design Hub, which highlighted BIPOC designers only, spanned far beyond the summit, with two of the honoree designers from CFS 2020 elected to semi-finals of the esteemed LVMH prize 2021, Rui Zhou and Lukhanyo Mdingi.

Drawing attention to emerging brands from across the world, with inherent inclusive and sustainable values, Impact Design Hub supports designers with technology, a wide range network of industry mentors, and connects them to innovators to pilot next-generation sustainable and circular IoT products. This is part of the overall mission to empower design for good, showcasing collections that respect the four Impact Design principles: materials, process, people, and planet.

Impact Design Hub honorees believe in a better future, with the showcase day (at Circular Fashion Summit) just day one of year-long action. If this is you or a brand you’re passionate about, apply now or spread the word.

Applications close 21 June 2021, 18:00 Paris.