The winners were crowned at a new-style awards ceremony on 11 March 2026 at Hilton London Bankside, where a more informal, convivial format was designed to cultivate connections between our finalists, partners, judges and supporters.
Our 114-strong shortlist of finalists was the longest since the awards were launched in 2020 as Drapers Sustainable Fashion Awards, and reflects the increasing importance ethical, sustainable and circular fashion is taking in the industry.
Advanced Clothing Solutions was a double winner, taking the awards for Recommerce and Empowering People.
For the first time Drapers’ Den pitches by sustainable fashion start-ups took place on the stage as part of the Drapers Conscious Fashion Awards ceremony. Three fledgling companies selected by judges from our One to Watch shortlist presented their business cases to our judges in front a live audience, to be crowned One to Watch.
We also honoured two standard bearers of British, sustainable fashion: Amy Powney, founder of Akyn and former creative director of Mother of Pearl, was crowned Conscious Fashion Champion; and Nigel Cabourn, menswear design legend and founder of his eponymous label, was named as the winner of the inaugural Outstanding Contribution Award.
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The evening awards ceremony followed the market-leading Drapers Conscious Fashion Summit during the day, when sustainable, ethical and circular fashion leaders tackled the issues defining the industry today, explored solutions and shared best practice.
Drapers Conscious Fashion Manifesto formed the centrepiece of the day – our four-point roadmap born of consultation with brands, retailers, suppliers and representative bodies on what is needed to meet sustainability goals and regulations, which will be presented government on behalf of the industry.
Drapers editor Jill Geoghegan said: “We are so honoured to be empowering sustainable, ethical fashion business, and are delighted to have so many of the pioneers in this space with us this evening.
“We continue to support the industry with our events and also Drapers Conscious Fashion Manifesto, which we will present to the government on behalf of the industry to demand help with compliance, sustainability and resilience. Please join us by signing the manifesto.
“Thank you to our partners and judges: Tom Berry, independent adviser, Tom Berry Sustainability Consulting; Tamara Cincik, founder and CEO, Fashion Roundtable; Priya Downes, founder, Nudea; Kate Hardcastle, founder, The Customer Whisperer; Simon Platts, co-founder, SP&KO; Catherine Salvidge, strategic technical manager – textiles, WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme); Jane Shepherdson, chair, My Wardrobe HQ; Helen Williamson, managing director, Tutti; and Rosie Wollacott, head of group sustainability, Mulberry.
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“And once again, congratulations to all our winners and finalists.”
Here are the winners:
Best Community or Charity Initiative
- WINNER: Give Your Best – Pay-it-Forward Store
- HIGHLY COMMENDED: Scamp & Dude – Super Scarf Mission
Best Customer Engagement Campaign
- WINNER: Shelter – Rescue and Repair
- HIGHLY COMMENDED: Traid – Shop the Drop
Best Use of Technology for Good
- Matter and Paradise Textiles
Brand of the Year – sponsored by Saiz
- Nudie Jeans
Circular Fashion Award – sponsored by Bleckmann
- WINNER: Frugi
- HIGHLY COMMENDED: Nudie Jeans
Conscious Collection of the Year
- Reformation – 100% Recycled Sweater
One to Watch – sponsored by The Fashion People
- Alpaca Apparel
Positive Change Award
- Rab
Recommerce Award
- Advanced Clothing Solutions
Supply Chain Sustainability Award – sponsored by Eurofins
- WINNER: Little Green Radicals
- HIGHLY COMMENDED: Wellicious
Textile Innovation of the Year
- Fibre52
Empowering People Award
- Advanced Clothing Solutions
Conscious Fashion Champion
- Amy Powney, founder, Akyn and Mother of Pearl
Outstanding Contribution Award
- Nigel Cabourn, founder, Nigel Cabourn
Drapers Conscious Fashion Campaign: your guide to responsible, compliant business
- Drapers Conscious Fashion Manifesto – make your voice heard
- Drapers Conscious Fashion Campaign: A call to action for responsible, compliant business
- Made in UK: Home advantages of onshoring production
- Competition and Markets Authority: “Fashion cannot afford to go quiet on sustainability”
- How Mulberry is embedding its “Made to Last” ethos
- UKFT: ‘Play to the advantages of speed and flexibility of made in UK’
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Facts Only
The Drapers Conscious Fashion Awards 2026 took place on 11 March at Hilton London Bankside.
The event featured 114 finalists, the largest shortlist since the awards launched in 2020.
Advanced Clothing Solutions won the Recommerce and Empowering People awards.
Three sustainable fashion start-ups pitched live during the ceremony, with Alpaca Apparel winning One to Watch.
Amy Powney, founder of Akyn and former creative director of Mother of Pearl, was named Conscious Fashion Champion.
Nigel Cabourn, founder of his eponymous menswear label, received the inaugural Outstanding Contribution Award.
The ceremony followed the Drapers Conscious Fashion Summit, held earlier the same day.
The Drapers Conscious Fashion Manifesto, a four-point roadmap for sustainability, was a focal point of the summit.
Winners included Frugi (Circular Fashion Award), Nudie Jeans (Brand of the Year), and Fibre52 (Textile Innovation of the Year).
The event was attended by industry leaders, judges, and partners, including representatives from WRAP, Mulberry, and Fashion Roundtable.
The awards ceremony aimed to foster connections through an informal, convivial format.
The manifesto will be presented to the government on behalf of the fashion industry.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The Drapers Conscious Fashion Awards 2026 reflect a broader industry shift toward sustainability, but the narrative warrants scrutiny. The event’s emphasis on "conviviality" and "connections" suggests a strategic effort to normalize sustainability as a collaborative, mainstream priority—yet the underlying tension between profit and ethics remains unaddressed. The awards highlight tangible progress, such as Advanced Clothing Solutions’ double win and the recognition of start-ups like Alpaca Apparel, but the celebration of individual achievements risks obscuring systemic challenges. The Drapers Conscious Fashion Manifesto, positioned as a roadmap for government engagement, could be a genuine advocacy tool or a performative gesture—its impact hinges on whether policymakers act on its recommendations.
The ceremony’s structure, blending pitches with awards, mirrors the fashion industry’s dual role as both innovator and polluter. While honoring figures like Amy Powney and Nigel Cabourn reinforces the narrative of "sustainable pioneers," it also raises questions about scalability: Can niche brands drive industry-wide change, or do they serve as moral alibis for larger players? The absence of critical discussion about greenwashing or the economic viability of circular fashion in the summary suggests a curated optimism, potentially masking deeper contradictions.
**Patterns detected:** ARC-0024 Ambiguity (vague framing of "conviviality" as a solution), ARC-0043 Motte-and-Bailey (sustainability as both radical change and industry-friendly reform).
**Root cause:** The narrative assumes that recognition and collaboration alone can drive systemic change, sidestepping structural barriers like fast fashion’s reliance on overproduction.
**Implications:** If the manifesto gains traction, it could pressure governments to enforce sustainability regulations—but without binding commitments, it may become another unenforced pledge. The awards risk reinforcing a "sustainable elite" while marginalizing critiques of the industry’s core business models.
**Bridge questions:** How might the manifesto’s goals conflict with fashion’s growth imperatives? What metrics would prove these awards drive meaningful change beyond PR? Who is excluded from this "convivial" vision of sustainability?
**Counterstrike scan:** A coordinated influence campaign would amplify the awards’ feel-good narrative while downplaying systemic critiques. The actual content aligns with this pattern but stops short of outright manipulation—it’s a celebration, not a distraction. Still, the lack of dissenting voices in the framing is notable.
Sentinel — Human
The article exhibits strong human signals, including event-specific details, direct quotes with emotional tone, and inconsistent formatting typical of human-edited content. No significant stylometric or coordination red flags were detected.