Become a Vogue Business Member to receive unlimited access to Member-only reporting and insights, our Beauty and TikTok Trend Trackers, Member-only newsletters and exclusive event invitations.
Swedish, London-based designer Petra Fagerström has been crowned the winner of 2025’s Challenge the Fabric (CTF) Award. The award — part of the two-day CTF event that took place from 13 to 14 May in Milan — tasked seven young designers from across the globe with creating a look made from recycled fibres. It’s designed to demonstrate the creativity and quality that’s possible with more responsible materials, and Fagerström will take home €10,000, for her structured, perforated skirt and coat made with Sappi Verve jersey and Ecocell™ twill.
“I’m so grateful for this award. And honestly, CTF is such a lovely thing to be a part of,” the designer said backstage following the win. “I’ve met so many fresh, capable designers over the last two days. And winning the award really, really helps where I’m at right now with my brand.”
Fagerström only graduated from her MA in womenswear design from Central Saint Martins (CSM) in February this year. She’s known for her optical illusion lenticular pleating technique, applied to skirts and dresses and paired with tailored, sculptural jackets or layered separates. The designer officially launched her brand in September, with the support of the Swedish Fashion Council’s (SFC) incubator, after being inducted during her studies in 2023 (SFC has also nurtured rising stars like Hodakova and All-In). During her first season in the SFC showroom for Autumn/Winter 2025, the designer had already secured three leading stockists: Dover Street Market, H Lorenzo and 10 Corso Como. But Fagerström is still a one-woman team, and the CTF Award prize money will help her as she produces her first collection for stores.
“We’re going into production for the first time, which, of course, is daunting and scary. But also super exciting because sales went really well, so that’s why there’s a lot to do. It’s hard to prepare for when you’re still in school, but now it’s happening for real,” she says. “The prize money will help me to build out the studio, buy new equipment and develop the next collection. It really gives me the chance to scale.”
Hosted by pulp, paper and packaging firm Ekman Group and organised with SFC, CTF is a two-day cross-industry initiative aiming to highlight material innovation and promote collaboration by connecting the entire supply chain of man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCF).
Fagerström’s approach to the fabrics was to keep the integrity of the fibres, avoiding bleaching or cutting too much, the designer explains. “I wanted to respect the fabric and see how I could incorporate it in a way that would work long term in my business,” she says. “I wanted to see if this could be a partnership I could continue after [with the textile providers]. So I made a look inspired by my previous work, by looking at the fabrics and seeing how they can translate into my [aesthetic].”
The other 2025 finalists include London-based Fashion East designers Louther and Nuba, London-based Chinese designer Oscar Ouyang, Paris-based American designer Shan Huq, and New York talents Women’s History Museum and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen. Each was assigned one or two different recycled materials to work with, from providers including Birla Cellulose, Circ, Pyratex and Circulose, to create a look to exhibit. In addition to the CTF Award, the two-day event includes a full-day symposium of panel discussions, keynotes and networking opportunities for stakeholders across the MMCF supply chain.
This year’s competition was judged by an expert jury, including: Aldo Camillo Gotti, chief executive of luxury and fashion retail at 10 Corso Como; Ellen Hodakova Larsson, founder and creative director of Hodakova; Andrea Rosso, sustainability ambassador for OTB; Gia Kuan, founder of Gia Kuan Consulting; Martina Tiefenthaler, creative director (and former chief creative officer at Balenciaga); Serge Carreira, director of emerging brands initiative at Féderation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode; and Riccardo Turrisi, sustainable innovation manager at Kering. The creations were judged based on criteria such as creativity and innovation while working with MMCF fabric.
“It is our great pleasure to announce Petra Fagerström as the winner of the 2025 CTF Award,” says Carreira, on behalf of the jury. “[Petra is] a designer who has demonstrated strength across all criteria: innovation, creativity, commercial potential, brand purpose and future impact, and whose work speaks clearly, with conviction.”
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
