1 December 2022

Asia is a global leader in manufacturing and one of the largest consumer markets for fashion. The rapidly growing region presents significant opportunities to create value and impact, both socially and environmentally, from a transition towards a circular economy. The “Innovation Challenge: Joint Call for Innovation in the Asian Textile Industry”, is a collaborative initiative between four leading organisations that are driving circularity in the Asian textile industry.

The Innovation Challenge is initiated by Fashion for Good, The Mills Fabrica, R.I.S.E. Sustainable Fashion Innovation Platform and Circular Economy Hub Japan, with the purpose of discovering the winning Asian innovations in the textile and apparel supply chain. With a rich heritage in textile manufacturing and production in this region, the Innovation Challenge is seeking to spark and scale promising innovations that have the potential to disrupt the current fashion supply chain worldwide.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

• We welcome innovations with a proven concept, that fall under one or multiple of the following focus areas
• Raw materials
• Dyeing, processing and finishing
• Cut-make-trim
• Retail and use
• End of use
• Overarching innovations within areas like transparency and traceability, packaging etc

WHAT WILL THE SELECTED INNOVATOR(S) RECEIVE?

Selected innovator(s) will gain access to one or more of the following:

1. Opportunity to be presented to Fashion for Good’s Innovation Partners for potential participation in the 2023 Fashion for Good Innovation Programme.
2. Opportunity for the top winner to receive a 3-month residency at The Mills Fabrica Hong Kong (dependent on eligibility), as well as relevant marketing and networking exposure.
3. Opportunity to receive feedback and investment from top investors in China as well as exposure through the R.I.S.E. Sustainable Fashion Innovation Platform and other regional media partners.
4. Opportunity to feature on the Circular Economy Hub Japan Podcast, Blog Post and / or online event, along with targeted introductions within the Circular Economy Hub community of 120 companies.

HOW CAN YOU APPLY?

Interested applicants are welcome to apply from the 1st of December until 11:59 p.m. on the 5th of January. Applying for the challenge is a simple process – all you need to do is complete the application form: https://fashionforgood.typeform.com/Innov-Challenge

The form will provide us with information about your team, your product and the market you are in. The questions are intended to understand both the business and the team.

WHAT HAPPENS ONCE YOU APPLY?

Once you have completed and submitted the form, each of the four participating organisations will review your application. In case we need more information, we will reach out to you.

Final results will be announced by the 23rd of January.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS:

The Mills Fabrica is the innovation arm of The Mills, revitalisation projects by the Nan Fung Group turning old textile factories in Hong Kong and London into destinations for experiential and experimental retail and innovation. We are a go-to solutions platform accelerating techstyle and agrifood tech innovations for sustainability and social impact. By bridging the gap between innovators and industry players, we help startup entrepreneurs navigate their business challenges, scale and grow into sustainable businesses, that are responsible both socially and environmentally. We are dedicated to co-creating startup success stories and a global community through strategic partnerships, impact fund and innovation spaces in Hong Kong and London, including workspaces, fabrication labs and stores.

R.I.S.E. Sustainable Fashion Innovation Platform launched in 2020 by Impact Hub in Shanghai as one of the earliest and largest platforms focusing on sustainable fashion in China, which aims to co-create with innovative actors and promoters from the fashion industry and help the fashion industry to better promote its own sustainable development through ‘Advocacy’, ‘Incubation’ and ‘Insight’.

At the same time, R.I.S.E. established ‘RERISE’, the sustainable fashion consumption decision-making guiding platform，to promote benign interaction with the industry and consumers, let more people participate in the sustainable transformation of the fashion industry, and promote the fashion industry to be more rational, inclusive, smart and eco-friendly.

Circular Economy Hub Japan is one of the first online platform of the kind in Japan that covers the latest circular economy trends in Japan and worldwide. The content includes case studies, insights, events, database, networking, podcast and business matching services. 

For business matching, they have a community of companies and individuals which are interested in implementing CE into their activities. In the community, we exchange information, discussion, and share the resources.

Circular Economy Hub Japan also supports businesses and cities to develop and implement a circular economy strategy.

Fashion for Good is the global platform for innovation.  Fashion for Good unites the entire fashion ecosystem, from brands, manufacturers and suppliers, to consumers, to collaborate and drive the change towards a circular industry.      At its core is the Innovation Programme that supports disruptive innovators on their journey to scale, providing hands-on project management, access to funding and expertise, and collaborations with brands and manufacturers to accelerate supply chain implementation.