Hyères Fashion Festival New Sustainability Prize
Finnish designer Sofia Ilmonen was awarded the Mercedes-Benz sustainability prize at the Hyères festival in France.
For the first time this year, the 36th edition of the Hyères International Fashion & Photography Festival awarded a new sustainability prize. The Mercedes-Benz prize for a sustainable collection went to Finnish designer Sofia Ilmonen, graduate of Aalto University. The award comes with a €20,000 grant as well as mentoring sessions for each of the 10 finalists. The festival for emerging designers took place in Villa Noailles, France.
Highlighting global talent, the festival is supported by international conglomerates and fashion houses including Chanel, Chloé, and Hermés.“For us, supporting sustainability in fashion is a holistic approach within our overall strategy that goes beyond cars. We have decided to award this award to help build awareness for more sustainability in the fashion industry—by supporting a design talent with a focus on sustainability, we want to take a stand in the industry and also motivate more players to line up and join the conversation.", explained Julia Hofmann, Head of Entertainment & Brand Partnerships at Mercedes-Benz AG.
The 34-year old designer incorporated a circular fashion approach, creating long romantic dresses made of silk organza. The dresses that debuted at Hyeres can be assembled and disassembled as needed and also outfitted with drawstrings which allows the clothes to be adjusted more or less formed to the body. The clothes can be manufactured directly by customers, thanks to inch-perfect patterns and precise instructions. Ilmonen describes her design ethos as grounded in sustainability, focusing on the concept of modular clothing and "unconventional" ways of wearing a garment.
Learn more about the Hyères festival for emerging designers HERE. What do you think of emerging designer Sofia Ilmonen's sustainable designs shown at Hyères? Leave your comment below, follow Fashion League on Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter for Faux or Fashion™ trivia, and the latest job postings from some of your favorite companies.
