Singapore Fashion Council (SFC) is proud to introduce the inaugural IMPACT (Inspiring Movement for Positive And Conscious Transformation) Award which honours regional individuals, businesses, and projects for their contributions to fashion sustainability — celebrating innovative practices, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility to inspire and promote circular initiatives. The award recognises long-term sustainability progress and impactful efforts on the environment and society.
Applications are subject to detailed assessment to determine 3 winners whose initiatives make the most progress towards responsible fashion. These winners will receive a complimentary consultation with STACS under the ESG Pilot Program, an invite to SFC Gala 2024, media coverage, and an award plaque.
WHO CAN APPLY
- Individual/organisation/project must be based in Singapore/Southeast Asia
- Focus area of Apparel, Accessories, or Lifestyle.
- Successfully implemented at least 1 sustainability strategy, which resulted in positive change and impacts (environmental and social) along the value chain such as:
- Logistics
- Materials
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Pre & Post Waste
- Certification
WHAT TO SUBMIT
- The name of your initiative.
- Your name/ your Company (if required).
- The link to your website or any online resources.
- Write up (100 words or less) to summarise your initiative.
- Description of how your initiative contributes to Sustainability Impact in one of the below (but not limited to):
- Business Integration
- Product
- Communications
- Details of the Primary POC and Secondary POC (Point of Contact).
Ms Lucita Jasmin
Group Sustainability Director, RGE
Ms Zhang Ting-Ting
CEO, Singapore Fashion Council
Ms Nicole van der Elst Desai
Sustainability Steering Committee, Chairperson, Singapore Fashion Council Founder, VDE Consultancy
Ms Caroline Seow
Director, B Lab SG
Mr Joachim Goh
Head, Strategy and Ecosystem Development, NVPC
Mr Benjamin Soh
Managing Director, STACS
APPLICATION TIMELINE
Open call ends 30 Aug at 23:59 (SGT). Please complete the form in English.
This works in 2 stages
STAGE 1: OPEN CALL [5 Aug – 30 Aug 2024]
Once you have submitted your application, it will be considered an official application for the 2024 prize year and you will receive a notification from Singapore Fashion Council.
STAGE 2: SFC REVIEW AND WINNER’S SELECTION [by 20 Sep 2024]
Your application will be subject to review by a panel of experts. SFC may contact you for more information if required.
Note to all applicants:
The winner will be invited to the following event. Please make yourself available on the following date that you are selected as the winner:
2 Oct 2024 – Networking with the Winner & Singapore Stories Designer
4 Oct 2024 – Award Ceremony, SFC Gala 2024
For more information, please refer here.
Terms & Conditions:
- Applicant needs to be based in Singapore or Southeast Asia
- Applicant must be in focus area of apparel, accessories, lifestyle.
- Applicant must have successfully implemented at least 1 sustainable strategy and resulted in positive change and impacts.
- Applicant must not be an immediate family member of any of IMPACT Award’s judge.
- SFC IMPACT Award allows individual, organisation or projects entry nominations.
- SFC IMPACT Award recipients have a responsibility to promote and engage in SFC’s initiatives to further raise awareness of fashion sustainability.
- By participating in this application, you allow SFC to use your personal data, including photos/videos of you during the shortlisting process of SFC IMPACT Award, in our promotional and marketing materials.
- By applying for SFC IMPACT Award, you agree to SFC’s privacy policy.
- SFC reserves the right to withdraw and/or terminate any application without notice and reason.
Strategic Partner
Knowledge Partner
The Earthshot Prize 2024 Impact Report
- May 2024
By 2030, the world must reduce CO2 emissions by over 40% and protect 30% of nature, fresh water, and oceans, before the damage is irreversible.
Recognising this need, Prince William founded The Earthshot Prize in 2020. In just three years, it has emerged as a global platform for finding innovators, unlocking funding, accelerating solutions, and inspiring optimism.
The Earthshot Prize has released its latest Impact Report, highlighting the significant progress that has been made just three years into this critical Earthshot Decade
Sustainable Fashion's Fork in the Road: Beyond Fabric to Fair Labour
- 20 February 2024
An Opinion Article by PEFC Editor Sorelle
Executive Summary
The fashion industry finds itself at a crossroads, where sustainability and ethical considerations demand center stage. In a world of fast fashion, characterized by fleeting trends and cheap garments, our choices resonate far beyond personal style. Influenced by voices like Greta Thunberg and mindful of the environmental toll, consumers are awakening to the power of their purchasing decisions, signaling a shift towards sustainable practices.
While the allure of traditional synthetic fibers wanes, there’s a growing embrace of eco-friendly alternatives like MMCFs, derived from plant-based sources. However, this transition must be accompanied by a conscientious approach to sourcing, acknowledging the complexities of supply chains and the human rights implications therein.
The true cost of fashion extends beyond the price tag, as underscored by tragedies like the Rana Plaza collapse. Upholding fair labor practices and ensuring safe working conditions are non-negotiable steps towards a truly sustainable future.
Transparency emerges as a beacon of accountability, empowering consumers to make informed choices. Initiatives like the Fashion Transparency Index and certification schemes like PEFC foster a culture of accountability, urging brands to uphold ethical standards throughout their supply chains.
As we navigate these waters, key questions emerge: Are our garments built to last? Can they be recycled or composted? And crucially, were they produced ethically? Collaboration across the industry is paramount, requiring engagement at every level of the supply chain.
In this era of conscious consumerism, the fashion industry stands at a pivotal moment. How we choose to respond will shape not just our wardrobes, but the world we inhabit. Let us embrace this opportunity for change with grace, empathy, and unwavering commitment to a more sustainable future.
Textile Recycling Study Executive Summary 2023
- 16 October 2023
Date: 27 October 2023
Time: 9am-6pm (9 Hours)
Venue: The Cocoon Space, 250 Orchard Road, #02-01, Singapore 238905 (Physical)
Funding Eligibility: TBC
Fees
| Member | $500 |
| Non-Member | $600 |
Who to Attend
- SMEs in the fashion, beauty, and lifestyle industries
- Professionals in sustainability and supply chain management.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will have gained a solid understanding of circularity, its importance in the fashion industry, and how it can be integrated into their own SME businesses. They will be equipped with practical strategies, tools, and resources to embark on their sustainability journey, fostering innovation, resilience, and responsible growth in their operations.
- Understanding the landscape circularity in South-East Asia
- Awareness of the resources available (e.g., SFC courses, green finance, government grants, tracking tools)
- Set goals and formulate plans for the company’s sustainability mission and objectives
Instructor’s Profile
Cristina Kountiou, Founding Director of Revive Consulting Ltd Hong Kong Cristina’s expertise in Fashion Business Development and R&D gives her a comprehensive overview of the industry where she focuses on sustainability and innovation. Her creative solution-finding approach, using trend forecasting and innovative thought strategies, identifies business opportunities through design and sustainability. She has 20 years in design and development within the fashion industry as well as teaching at Universities in Asia from Fashion Business Strategy to Fashion history, design, concept, and contemporary issues. Her experience oversees challenges within the supply chain, and she advocates connecting industry with education.
Course Overview
Session 1: Understanding Circularity in the Fashion Industry
- Introduction to circularity: Definitions, principles, and key concepts
- Environmental and social challenges of the linear fashion industry
- Exploring the business case for circularity
- Opportunities and benefits of adopting circular business strategies for SMEs
- Closed-loop systems: Recycling, upcycling, and product life extension
Session 2: Why Circularity is Fashion Forward and Why it Matters for SMEs
- Sustainable development and the role of SMEs
- Overview of successful circular fashion brands and companies in Southeast Asia
- Case studies: Examining their approaches, challenges, and impact
- Collaborative approaches: Partnerships, sharing platforms, and new business models
Session 3: Workshop – Kickstarting Your Sustainability Journey
- Applying circularity principles to participants’ own businesses
- Hands-on exercises to identify opportunities for circularity
- Group discussions and feedback sessions to brainstorm actionable steps
Click here to sign up now.
For enquiries, please write to sustainability@sgfashioncouncil.org.sg
PEFC Launches New Whitepaper: “Enhancing Sustainability through Forest-Positive MMCF Sourcing. A Guide for Fashion Brands and Retailers."
- 7 September 2023
PEFC, the world’s leading forest certification organization, is excited to announce the release of its latest whitepaper, “Enhancing Sustainability through Forest-Positive MMCF Sourcing: A Guide for Fashion Brands and Retailers.” This comprehensive guide empowers fashion brands and retailers to embrace responsible sourcing practices for man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs) by emphasizing the importance of sustainable forest management.
The PEFC whitepaper dives into the significance of sustainable feedstock sourcing in the fashion industry, focusing specifically on MMCF materials and the potential environmental and social risks associated with forests. It provides a clear understanding of how PEFC’s comprehensive approach to sustainable forest management effectively mitigates these risks and promotes the preservation and well-being of forest ecosystems. Moreover, it offers practical solutions for brands to ensure the traceability of MMCF materials, enabling them to make verifiable claims about their responsible feedstock sourcing.
The fashion industry, heavily reliant on natural resources and specialized labour, faces substantial consequences when environmental and social implications are not considered throughout the product value chain. Given that man-made cellulosic fibres predominantly derive from forest-based feedstock, it is crucial to be aware of the potential risks that can arise at the forest level and proactively address them. Sustainable forest management encompasses a range of measures to tackle key issues such as biodiversity loss, forest degradation, deforestation, and risks to workers and forest communities. By supporting sustainably managed forests, brands contribute to a forest-positive future by protecting endangered species, restoring forest ecosystems, promoting biodiversity, preventing deforestation, and ensuring safe and fair working conditions while respecting the rights of Indigenous communities.
“We are thrilled to release this whitepaper, addressing the urgent need for responsible sourcing practices in the fashion industry,” said Julia Kozlik, Textile Program Lead at PEFC International. “By leveraging the knowledge shared in this paper, fashion brands and retailers can make informed decisions, support sustainable forest management, and preserve biodiversity.”
Kicking Circular Fashion into High Gear
- 18 July 2023
The first milestone for the Circular Transition Indicators (CTI) Fashion Initiative, which desires to develop industry-harmonized standards, metrics and best practices to help the sector adoption of circular strategies and business models. A whitepaper by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in collaboration with Deloitte and VF Corporation, supported by the VF Foundation.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION?
As shared in SFC’s inaugural sector report, the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world, with an estimated 7% of total global emissions. The fashion industry also consumes 1.5 trillion litres of water annually, with a chemical usage of 23% globally.
Sustainable fashion looks to reduce fashion’s negative impact on the environment. Mainly, it refers to the practice of creating, producing and consuming fashion, with UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 12, ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ being the front.
Sustainable fashion promotes circularity in the fashion industry, with products that can be reused or recycled at the end of their lifecycle instead of being discarded. Sustainable fashion is crucial to ensure the fashion industry’s long-term viability.
To find out more, download SFC’s inaugural sector report here.
CREATIVE BRIEF
What is your solution to drive sustainability in fashion?
- Submitted digitally
- Enables and focuses on sustainable fashion
- Individual Submission: Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident: Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Group Submission: Minimum 1 Singaporean/PR student, up to 3 students per group
- Current full-time student of any year and faculty in Institute of Higher Learning or Post-Secondary schools in Singapore
WHAT TO SUBMIT
- Solution based on the creative brief provided.
- Write-up (100 words or less) to summarise your solution.
- Personal statement (500 words or less) expressing yourself and your community impact to sustainability.
- Guideline: Why did you apply for SFC Student Challenge Award? What is your personal goal? How have you involved yourself in the community to make an impact towards sustainability in Singapore?
- Prove of school’s matriculation status via a letter of certification or student status letter.
- Portfolio/case studies to showcase process and outcome in ANY OTHER sustainability projects.
*All submitted documents, including videos, should be submitted via PDF and/or URL. Please ensure all documents are accessible for external downloading and viewing. If submitted documents are inaccessible, your application will not be reviewed.
FORMAT FOR SUBMISSION OF SOLUTION
- SFC is open to solutions created in any medium (i.e. Slides, garment, new material research paper, campaigns, print, webpage, and more).
- Digitally visualise the above solution in high-resolution (e.g. If your solution consists of a physical garment, submit a high-resolution photo/video of the garment).
*Please ensure that any moving submissions (e.g., animation, videos) submitted are below 2-minutes. The submission will not be reviewed beyond the 2-minute mark.
Mr. Leonard Augustine Choo
Director, Industry Development, Singapore Fashion Council
Ms. Sharon Chong
Vice President, Group Sustainability and External Affairs, RGE
Ms. Cynthia Yap
Sustainability & Climate Change Senior Manager, PwC Singapore
2 May 2023: Applications open for sign-ups.
23 June 2023: Applications close.
21 July 2023*: Top 10 finalists are required to present their submissions to the judges.
1 August 2023: Announcement of Top 3 winners during Singapore Fashion Council’s Summit.
*Date is subject to change.
STAND A CHANCE TO WIN
Grand Prize: S$3,000
1st Runner-up: S$1,500
2nd Runner-up: S$800
- Assist in SFC sustainability engagements and initiatives alongside the SFC sustainability team, for 1 year, as part of their learning and development journey towards becoming a sustainable fashion leader.
- Serve as youth ambassadors to promote SFC initiatives to raise awareness in sustainability.
- Applicant needs to be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident.
- Applicant must be a current full-time student of any year and faculty in university or post-secondary schools located in Singapore.
- Applicant must be a student member of SFC.
- Applicant must not be an immediate family member of SFC’s staff or council members.
- SFC Student Challenge Award allows individual or group entry, with up to three students per group
- Group entry should comprise only full-time students in Singapore’s institutions, with minimum 1 Singaporean/PR student.
- Prize money is awarded based on the entry, and if a group puts in the winning award, the monies will be split amongst the number of team members.
- Applicant must not be working under SFC at the time of application.
- SFC owns a 2-year promotional rights to the 10 shortlisted submissions and may reuse the material for marketing purposes for exhibition and digital channels.
- SFC Student Challenge Award recipients have a responsibility to promote and engage in SFC’s initiatives to further raise awareness of fashion sustainability.
- By participating in this application, you allow SFC to use your personal data, including photos/videos of you during the shortlisting process of SFC Student Challenge Award, in our promotional and marketing materials.
- By applying for SFC Student Challenge Award, you agree to SFC’s privacy policy.
- SFC reserves the right to withdraw and/or terminate any student’s application without notice and reason.
Strategic Partner
Towards ESG journey with GINLEE Studio and Sage & Ylang
- 5 April 2023
Read on to find out how these local apparel and skincare brands kickstarted their journey toward ESG.
Towards ESG credentialing with Ghim Li Group & TEO Garments
- 29 March 2023
Read on to find out why these local firms prioritise ESG credentials and their ESG journey so far.