The Mumster editorial team
September 1, 2025
Photo - Martina Novakova
AMSTERDAM – 1 September, 2025 – The highly anticipated first edition of the Fashion Pioneers Awards 2025 in partnership with the City of Amsterdam and Fashion United has officially begun. Starting 1 September, applications are open via the newly launched Fashion Pioneers Awards website, inviting fashion changemakers to apply until 30 September 2025.
The winners will be revealed at a dedicated award ceremony on 28 November 2025, held at Fashion for Good in Amsterdam.
The Fashion Pioneers Awards
Initiated by campaign agency Mumster after a decade of impactful work in the fashion sector, the Fashion Pioneers Awards were created to strengthen and support the ecosystem of rising fashion pioneers.
Developed in close collaboration with an advisory board of industry experts and sector partners, the awards aim to celebrate and accelerate innovation within the fashion industry. Each award has been carefully designed to serve a specific national or international audience and offers tangible value to the winners — from visibility and mentorship to strategic partnerships and a monetary price.
Social Impact Award
The Social Impact Award, presented by the Rabo Foundation, recognizes a fashion pioneer who uses the power of entrepreneurship to drive sustainable and social change in the fashion industry. This changemaker combines creativity with a deep sense of social responsibility, contributing to fair opportunities for people worldwide—aligned with the Rabo Foundation’s mission to promote inclusive economic growth. The winner is not only an innovator in fashion and textiles but also a true social entrepreneur—strengthening self-reliance, supporting fair labor practices, and building sustainable value chains, both locally and internationally.
Amsterdam Circular Changemaker Award
The Amsterdam Circular Changemaker Award is presented to a promising entrepreneur in the fashion industry who contributes to solving societal challenges through an innovative and circular solution. This award also strengthens Amsterdam’s international reputation as a leading city for circular fashion innovation. It recognizes entrepreneurs who are not only pioneering in their approach but also have the potential to make an impact beyond the city’s borders.
This award aligns with the City of Amsterdam’s mission to stimulate sustainable growth sectors and foster an ecosystem of ambitious sustainable fashion pioneers. It also supports the implementation agenda of the Circular Economy, in which accelerating the transition to a circular textile sector is a key priority.
Circular Design Award
The Circular Design Award presented by HUGO BOSS for BOSS THE CHANGE, is a prestigious design challenge recognizing pioneering circular design in fashion. The award honors designers who align with HUGO BOSS’s Circular Design strategy. Five nominees will collaborate with the BOSS Creative team and the winning design will be brought to life under BOSS, representing a real-world leap towards circular fashion.
Circular System Challenger Award
The Circular System Challenger Award, presented by ZEEMAN, recognizes and supports a pioneering initiative that introduces an innovation — in process, production, or product — aimed at accelerating the transition to a more circular fashion and textile industry. The award aims to elevate simplicity, scalability, and social equity as core values in creating accessible circular solutions.
Selection Process
The Fashion Pioneers Awards 2025 are open to fashion pioneers based in the Netherlands and across Europe. Applicants can find detailed entry requirements and award-specific criteria on the official awards website.
Participants are welcome to apply for multiple award categories, though each initiative may receive only one award. For each award, five nominees will be selected by a panel of industry experts. From this shortlist, one winner per award will be chosen by the jury.
The nominees will be announced on 10 October 2025, after which the public will be invited to cast their vote for their favorite nominee. The final award winners will be revealed on 28 November 2025 during the Fashion Pioneers Awards show, hosted at Fashion for Good in Amsterdam.
Fashion pioneers from The Netherlands and across Europe are encouraged to apply before the 30 September deadline. Visit the official website to learn more about eligibility, the awards and the application process.
