The semi-finalists of the second edition of Responsible Fashion Awards have been revealed

Justyna Kościółek is the winner of this year’s 4^th Responsible Fashion Awards. The competition seeks to promote pro-ethical and pro-environmental solutions in the fashion industry and to support young designers acting in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

On 20 June, the finale of the 4^th edition of the Responsible Fashion Awards, organised by the school in collaboration with LPP, took place at the headquarters of the International School of Costume and Fashion Design. The main objective of the initiative is to promote pro-ethical and pro-environmental solutions in the fashion industry and to support young designers acting in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

– Organising this project for the fourth time already brings a lot of satisfaction. Always with LPP as partner. Every year, one can see a qualitative change in the submitted designs. Their high level strengthens my conviction that the RFA is fulfilling its mission, namely education in the area of responsible design. I firmly believe that the high financial prize we have funded for responsible, young designers will help them spread their wings even further in the direction of sustainable fashion –emphasises Magdalena Płonka, director of the International School of Costume and Fashion Design.

Ten designers presented their work in this year’s finale: Małgorzata Dzierżęga, Patrizia Ende, Maria Górna, Justyna Kościółek, Elliott Kubiak, Marlena Małysz, Marta Sołoducha, Agnieszka Trawińska, Eliza Wojtan, and Sabina Zagrajewska.

Each finalist presented one silhouette from the collection they had designed in the first stage of the competition. The participants used environmentally friendly materials donated by LPP – black and white fabrics and accessories. Among the solutions they used was dyeing them using natural methods, including turmeric, henna or leaves. In their designs, the finalists alluded to history, Japanese culture, the metaverse or climate disasters.

The jury decided to grant the main award to Justyna Kościółek, who received PLN 10,000, a one-year scholarship at MSKPU, the opportunity to present her collection at the school’s graduation show, and sewing materials from LPP.

– Justyna Kościółek presented a design that not only fulfils the competition’s briefs in the context of responsible fashion, but is also suitable for everyday wear. The combination of ecology, design and usability in one is an exceptional achievement – emphasises Natalia Szydłowska-Magdziarz, Reserved product team leader.

 The winner’s collection is called Onna-Bugeisha. It is inspired by Japanese female warriors who fought alongside the Samurai and was made from organic cotton, tencel, and recycled polyester  As this year’s edition of the competition only allowed for black and white fabrics, it created opportunities to experiment with natural dyeing.

– I wanted to show how great the possibilities are for dyeing using only natural dyes, including red cabbage, onion peelings and bearded birch leaves. I think that the premise and message of the competition – i.e. designing in the spirit of sustainable fashion – is very important nowadays, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to take part in this venture – explains Justyna Kościółek, winner of the 4^th edition of the Responsible Fashion Awards.

The competition participants were judged by a group of specialists from the CSR industry, lecturers, journalists, and representatives of the fashion world. LPP was represented by Anna Sołtys, director of the Reserved product office in Warsaw, and Natalia Szydłowska-Magdziarz, product team leader.

– This year’s RFA competition impressed with creativity and diversity. The designs were realised on a high aesthetic level, with a lot of daring and flair, but also craftsmanship in construction and tailoring. It is great that more and more fashion designers are reaching for solutions that are not only sustainable, but also refer to traditional craftsmanship – sums up Anna Sołtys, director of Reserved product office in Warsaw.

LPP is a Polish family business and one of the fastest growing clothing companies in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. For 30 years, it has been successfully operating in Poland and abroad, offering its collections in such prestigious capitals as London, Helsinki or Tel Aviv. LPP SA manages five fashion brands: Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito, and Sinsay, whose offer is available today in stationary and online stores in nearly 40 markets worldwide. The company has a chain of over 2000 stores with the total area of 1.7 million m2 and distributes clothing and accessories to 3 continents every year. LPP plays another important role as it employs nearly 30 thousand people in its offices and sales structures in Poland, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the WIG20 index and belongs to the prestigious MSCI Poland index.