Ugg and Fashion Council Germany unveil winners of Rising Voices Award

Fashion Council Germany (FCG), together with lifestyle brand Ugg, has announced the winners and runners up of the Rising Voices Award during an event at Berlin Fashion Week last night.

Those selected were revealed at FCG’s Fireside Chat, hosted by chairwoman of the organisation Christiane Arp and Nicks Ericsson, senior director of brand purpose, sustainability and DEI at Ugg.

During the event, Arp and Ericsson announced the recipient of the award’s 20,000 euro cash prize to be design duo Julia Ballardt and Nico Verhaegen. The two runners-up were Karen Jessen and Nicole Knüppels from the fashion brand Butterflies & Feathers.

With the award, the FCG and Ugg are aiming to support and promote the next generation of emerging German designers who are dedicated to a sustainable fashion future.

For 2022, applicants were tasked with conceptually reinterpreting the ‘Classic Mini’ Ugg boot with a sustainable vision and craftsmanship in mind.

An international jury of experts selected 10 finalists, who were each given the chance to create their concepts in prototypes, all of which were displayed at an event in Berlin’s Kulturforum.

The occasion, entitled ‘Der Berliner Salon’, was also home to a group exhibition of 30 German design talents and brands within fashion, accessories and jewellery, as well as the presentation of Ukrainian designer Jean Grisfeldt.

Curated by Arp, the exhibition can be viewed until September 7, over the course of Berlin Fashion Week.