The third edition of the Global Denim Awards (GDA), made possible by e3 Cotton, will be held on October 26 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. GDA, a platform for the future of denim design, sustainability and craftsmanship, will present 11 pairs of fashion designers and denim mills that will present their co-created capsule collections during the award ceremony. The 11 collections that result from the collaborations between selected mills and designers will be judged by a jury of international denim experts on the overall look, the innovative nature of the design, and the creative use of denim. The designer of the winning collection will receive a €10,000 award, made possible by e3 Cotton, said an official statement. An additional award will go to the mill with the most innovative fabric. The panel of jury that will judge the collections include denim and casual wear designer Amy Leverton, designer Sam Lambert and stylist Shaka Maidoh (founders of Art Comes First), designer and trend forecaster Kelly Harrington and global sales director of Scotch & Soda Alex Jaspers. The designer – mill teams that will present their collections during the GDA are – Marina van Dieren and Christina Albrecht – Advance Denim, MariusPetrus – Atlantic Mills, EdithMarcel – Berto Industria Tessile, Outkastpeople (Emre Aktuna) – Calik Denim, Lavinia Mustapha – Candiani Denim, Anbasja Blanken – ITV Denim, Tess van Zalinge – Knitdigo, Lisa Konno and Karin Vlug – Prosperity Textile, Roosmarijn Koster – Arvind, Deniz Gür – Kipas Denim and Leandro Cano – Tejidos Royo. Participating designers are required to spend at least a week at their partnered mills to develop an in-depth understanding of the mill’s latest technological possibilities related to fabrics, washes, finishes, treatment and sustainable manufacturing processes. The designers will work together with the mill to develop a capsule collection on the spot, comprised of five total looks to be presented at the GDA. GDA is initiated and organised by HTNK fashion recruitment and consultancy agency, Kingpins denim sourcing show and House of Denim, an Amsterdam-based foundation. “What’s unique about the Denim Awards is that it puts some of the most innovative mills worldwide front-row. In this way, GDA is also a preview to the future, since brands will have to offer transparency regarding where and how their products are produced within the next few years,” said Mariette Hoitink, CEO, HTNK. The winning collection will be exhibited at Kingpins Shows in New York City and Hong Kong, before returning to the Netherlands for Amsterdam Denim Days 2017.
