Ashoka Changemakers and C&A Foundation have launched an online challenge to find innovations for building a fair and sustainable apparel industry. Winners of the challenge, called Fabric of Change: Innovating for a Sustainable Apparel Industry, will receive prizes totalling more than US $ 1.13 million to support their solutions. “We need to transform the way the apparel industry works,” said Leslie Johnston, Executive Director of C&A Foundation, adding, “Through innovation, collaboration, and a change in mind-set we have the potential to transform fashion into a force for good.”
The Changemakers Challenge will crowdsource solutions from around the world. A panel of expert judges will select the most promising initiatives to receive funding for scaling, refining, or testing their solutions. Challenge finalists will be invited to present their work to industry leaders at the Fabric of Change Summit, to be held in the spring of 2016. Winners of the challenge will be announced at the Summit. The partnership will also map promising innovations and opportunities for transformation in the sector.
