the Final Gala of the Designers Play Sustain competition took place on 3 June at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.
The Designers Play Sustain competition has an educational character and is aimed at lovers of fashion of the future, by which the organisers mean: circular fashion, eco-design and the use of sustainable tools and modern technologies in the service of building sustainability in the fashion industry.
The finalists of the Designers Play Sustain future fashion competition were selected by the votes of the jury, chaired by Polish designer Mariusz Przybylski. This is the second edition of the event, which builds awareness of responsibility in fashion among designers and consumers.
The winner of the Upcycling Ready-2-Wear category was Justyna Rożek, receiving PLN 50,000. The winner in the Digital-2-AI eco-design category is Paula Buczyńska, who received PLN 10,000. Justyna Rożek ‘broke the bank’ that evening – in addition to the financial awards, she received a number of special prizes.
In-kind prizes included an internship with Gosia Baczyńska, mentoring with Michał Szulc, an award from Monika Brodka, a selected course at the Kozminski University or a trip to Dubai for business mentoring.
Out of several hundred contestants who competed in two categories – Upcycling Ready-2-Wear and Ecodesign Digital-2-AI – 19 designers made it to the final. Conscious fashion designers emphasise that we draw from water, from the same source that is not inexhaustible. We love fashion and that’s why it’s so important to understand that we need the order of things, which is determined by values such as balance, attentiveness or responsibility.
The chairman of the jury for this edition of the competition is once again Mariusz Przybylski. Other members of the jury include Prof. Jolanta Rudzka-Habisiak (Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź) and Marlena Wooolford, a journalist and futurologist based in London, who deals with the design of the future in fashion. In addition, the jury’s group of experts includes representatives from the creative, scientific, socially and environmentally active and business communities. The Jury is also made up of prominent names from the worlds of fashion, media and science: Gosia Baczyńska, Martyna Zastawna, Robert Kuta, Prof. Błażej Ostoja Lniski, Ksenia Schnaider, Juliana Kahl, Prof. Dr. Grzegorz Mazurek, Anna Pietruszka, Gabriela Czerkiewicz, Marcin Świderek, Jarosław Urban, Barbara Skuła – Dąbek, Odeta Jace.
Excessive water consumption in the garment manufacturing and fabric dyeing process puts the future of not only the industry itself, but also the health of the entire ecosystem in question. Expansive practices not only affect the environment, but also the communities that revolve around these resources. Regardless of industry background, raising awareness about the value of water is crucial to the future of our planet. Our purchasing decisions have the power to shape the direction of fashion. Through conscious shopping and proper care, we can promote sustainable practices that use less water and generate a smaller carbon footprint. Each of us can contribute to ensuring a better future for water resources.
The first edition of the competition achieved a huge response, building credit for the Foundation’s
Play Sustain. The 2024 competition attracted 508 designers, 211 of whom submitted collection designs. Of the 15 finalists – seven were awarded. The winner of the grand prize in 2024 is Sandra Skóra. The People’s Choice Award was also awarded at that time, which went to Patrycja Lis.
See also: Fashion show | Designer | Fashion | Collection
