Calling all innovative fashion and accessory designers: Mindful Fashion New Zealand has announced that the Circular Business Innovation Award, a key category within the prestigious Mindful Fashion Circular Design Awards 2025, is officially open for entries.
“With an estimated 143 tonnes of clothing waste sent to landfill every single day in New Zealand, it’s absolutely imperative that we embrace a more circular way of operating,” says Jacinta FitzGerald, Chief Executive of Mindful Fashion. “This means designing out waste and ensuring our clothing and textiles remain in use for as long as possible. This award specifically celebrates the businesses leading this vital transition – those who are transforming challenges into incredible opportunities and inspiring systemic change.”
The Circular Business Innovation Award is designed to recognise businesses across the entire fibre, textile and clothing sectors that are actively weaving circular principles into the fabric of their operations. This includes everything from innovative product design and groundbreaking business models to supply chain advancements and ingenious end-of-life solutions. The award is open to all New Zealand-based businesses dedicated to accelerating circular practices that regenerate resources, drastically reduce waste and fundamentally rethink value creation.
This year, the Circular Business Innovation Award welcomes a significant new sponsor, Untouched World. A true pioneer in sustainable fashion, Untouched World not only won this very award last year but is now stepping up to support the next wave of innovators.
“Untouched World has consistently been at the forefront of sustainable business in Aotearoa,” FitzGerald adds. “To see last year’s winner return as this year’s sponsor is a powerful demonstration of true leadership – it’s a commitment to nurturing the broader ecosystem of change that we so desperately need.”
By stepping into the role of sponsor in 2025, Untouched World is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to positive impact and leadership across the fashion and textile industry.
“We are incredibly honoured to sponsor this year’s award,” says Peri Drysdale, Founder and CEO of Untouched World. “Winning in 2024 was a truly powerful moment for us. It underscored how these awards can amplify impact, not just within our own operations, but across the wider industry and even beyond our borders. As a company deeply committed to positive change, we firmly believe in lifting others as we move forward.”
Now in their third year, the Mindful Fashion Circular Design Awards serve as a vibrant celebration of creative thinking, collaborative spirit, and system-level innovation. They continue to spotlight and champion the changemakers who are actively shaping a thriving, resilient, and regenerative future for fashion and textiles right here in Aotearoa.
Entries for the Circular Business Innovation Award are open now and close Friday, 1 August 2025. Further information and application details are available on the Mindful Fashion New Zealand website.
