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Photo by Martina Novakova – Winners Fashion Pioneers Awards: Yumeko, Verena Weiss, Made Out Of, VNYX

On Black Friday, 28 November 2025, Fashion for Good in Amsterdam became the stage for optimism and innovation as campaign agency Mumster announced the very first winners of the Fashion Pioneers Awards. The inaugural edition honored four bold changemakers who are actively reshaping the fashion and textile system: Yumeko, VNYX, Verena Weiss, and Made Out Of.

Created in partnership with the City of Amsterdam and FashionUnited, the new annual awards platform aims to spotlight pioneers who move beyond ambition into real, systemic change. With more than 5,000 public votes, the first edition marked a powerful start for an initiative focused on action, collaboration, and measurable impact.

Four Purpose-Driven Awards

The Fashion Pioneers Awards featured four distinct categories, each developed together with sector partners and industry experts:

• Social Impact Award – presented by Rabo Foundation: Yumeko

• Amsterdam Circular Changemaker Award – presented by the City of Amsterdam: VNYX

• Circular Design Award – presented by HUGO BOSS: Verena Weiss

• Circular System Challenger Award – presented by ZEEMAN: Made Out Of

Each award recognizes a different lever for change within the fashion system—from social justice and circular design to technology-driven solutions and scalable business models.

Social Impact Award: Yumeko

Yumeko received the Social Impact Award for its Open Organic Cotton Chain, a pioneering approach that challenges conventional textile supply chains.

By partnering directly with Chetna, a Fairtrade and organic cotton cooperative in India, Yumeko pre-finances farmers immediately after harvest. This model supports stable incomes, self-reliance, and freedom from debt cycles, while ensuring fair working conditions and full traceability throughout the chain. Crucially, it also incentivizes farmers to continue organic farming practices.

The initiative is now evolving into a collaborative platform. Yumeko has already welcomed its first partner brand, Joolz, and plans to invite more brands to join in 2025 and 2026.

“This recognition strengthens our belief that transparent, fair supply chains can become the norm,” says Rob van den Dool of Yumeko. “We hope it inspires more brands to step into the Open Organic Cotton Chain and scale impact for farmers, people, animals, and our planet.”

Amsterdam Circular Changemaker Award: VNYX

The Amsterdam Circular Changemaker Award went to VNYX (vnyx.ai) for its AI-driven approach to circular resale.

VNYX is developing an AI-powered robot that automates and optimizes the processing of unique garments for online resale—unlocking the hidden value of overstock, returns, and secondhand clothing. By making resale scalable and profitable, the company extends product lifecycles, prevents waste, and reduces fashion’s environmental footprint.

Rooted in Amsterdam, VNYX combines technological innovation with inclusivity, offering a circular system that can be replicated globally.

“We show that technology can drive real systemic change in fashion,” says Romy Goedhart of VNYX. “This award helps us position Amsterdam as the global hub for tech-enabled circular fashion.”

Circular Design Award: Verena Weiss

Designer Verena Weiss received the Circular Design Award, presented by HUGO BOSS, for BOSS CONNECTED—a modular, 3-in-1 circular jacket design.

Created with RE&UP’s Cradle to Cradle Certified® Platinum recycled cotton (the first textile worldwide to meet this highest standard), the jacket features mono-material construction, detachable components (shell, puffer, vest), integrated repair kits, and a take-back system enabling true clothing-to-clothing recycling.

A standout innovation lies in how the design educates consumers: printed care and disassembly instructions—styled like tailor’s chalk marks—are placed inside the jacket, while color-coded stitching supports correct recycling. The garment becomes an information carrier, connecting designers, consumers, retailers, and recyclers through shared circular knowledge.

“With BOSS CONNECTED we prove that premium and circularity can advance together,” says Verena Weiss. “The design empowers people to #BeYourOwnBOSS while making circular choices intuitive and aspirational.”

The design will be further developed with the BOSS team and brought to life under the BOSS brand.

Circular System Challenger Award: Made Out Of

Made Out Of won the Circular System Challenger Award, presented by ZEEMAN, for its holistic and scalable approach to circular fashion.

The brand creates timeless bags and accessories from recycled European materials and next-generation innovations, produced in a Dutch social atelier. Designs are shaped around both material properties and the skills of the makers, resulting in durable, repairable products that are easy to reproduce at scale.

“In the year ahead, my team and I will work closely with Made Out Of to help bring their vision to life,” says Marielle van Dillen, Senior Buyer at ZEEMAN. “We’ll support the expansion of their social atelier, boost visibility, and help make circular, transparent fashion the new mainstream.”

Awards with Measurable Impact

The Fashion Pioneers Awards were co-developed with an advisory board of sector experts to ensure each prize delivers tangible value—ranging from mentorship and access to networks to visibility and collaboration opportunities.

To safeguard sustainability standards, Mumster partnered with the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII), aligning the circular categories with global best practices. Looking beyond awareness, Mumster also collaborates with Circular Innovations to measure the environmental and economic impact of pilot projects launched through the awards.

Join the Fashion Pioneers Awards 2026 and help shape the future of fashion.

Get in touch via FPA@mumster.nl