We’re not sure whose idea this was, but the collaboration between the CFDA and Lexus is certainly a bizarre one. Regardless, their goal is definitely one we can get behind. They established the inaugural Eco Fashion Challenge as a platform to recognize and support the industry’s leaders in sustainable design. From the press release:

“To qualify as a finalist, each designer had to demonstrate a commitment to ecologically responsible design and production practices, with a minimum of 25% of their collection being produced in an environmentally friendly manner. The judges selected the three honorees based on design credibility, business acumen, and eco-commitment, with attention paid to eco fabrics, materials, processes, and packaging.”

Last night, the winners were announced at a packed event dj’d by Fabrizio Moretti of the Strokes. Congrats to Costello Tagliapietra, Maria Cornejo and jewelry designer Monique Péan, who won amongst some pretty stiff competition: Behnaz Sarafpour, Marcia Patmos, Organic by John Patrick, Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Subversive, and Rogan. All ten finalists’ work was shown in gallery style displays with blurbs about what they do to keep their design process eco-friendly.

We also got a chance to congratulate winners Monique Péan, Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra and ask them about the challenge.

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