Introducing the Recycle the Runway 2026 Winners
Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and Visa are delighted to reveal the fifteen winners of the Visa Young Creators: Recycle the Runway, a programme celebrating and empowering emerging designers to reimagine fashion through innovative circular design.
Applicants were reviewed by an expert jury, including: the programme’s ambassador, Author and Podcaster, Gemma Styles; Laura Ingham, Deputy Director, Global Fashion Network, Vogue; Kirsty Keoghan, General Manager, European Fashion, eBay; Shailja Dubé, Deputy Director, Institute of Positive Fashion, British Fashion Council; Philip Konopik, Group Country Manager, Nordics and Baltics, Visa Europe.
Together they have selected 15 winners who are inspirational examples of how to turn circular ideas into viable businesses that can help to shape a more regenerative future for fashion.
Of the 15 winners, 5 Prize Winners have been selected to receive EUR 10,000, an invitation to participate in Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2026, individual pairing with leading solution providers to co-create a product, as well as expert mentorship sessions, promotional opportunities, and industry recognition. One of these five prize winners will be named Grand Prize Winner at Global Fashion Summit on 6th May, and will be awarded a further EUR 10,000 to invest in their business.
INTRODUCING THE 5 PRIZE WINNERS
(Prize Winners are Listed Alphabetically)
Inga Nemirovskaia, Lore Europe, Austria
Founded by Inga Nemirovskaia, Lore redefines fashion as a connection between soil and stitch, restoring traceability, craft, and meaning to contemporary clothing.
Lore is a Vienna-based brand rooted in a return to land, animal, and material. Designed from the fibre outward, it works primarily with European natural fibers sourced from alpine regions. Its first collection centers on Merino Landschaf and Jura Schaf sheep breeds valued for grazing and agriculture, whose wool reflects a natural, low-intervention life. Blended with European alpaca, the fibers balance softness, strength, and durability.
Each piece is produced entirely in Europe in collaboration with regional shepherds and artisans.
Lola Catala, Canto Primo, Italy
Canto Primo by Lola Catala is a circular fashion brand redefining how clothing is made and valued. They transform existing textiles — deadstock, unsold inventory, and second-hand garments — into high-end collections through structured upcycling processes.
Their approach goes beyond sustainability storytelling: to build a scalable production system that avoids the use of virgin resources while maintaining strong aesthetic identity and market desirability.
Over the past four years, Lola Catala has developed more than 400 products, refining their methods into a carry-over catalog of 40 scalable designs.
With the launch of their Circular Hub, Lola Catala is transitioning from a brand into an operational model — creating a new infrastructure for fashion production that is circular, desirable, and built to scale.
Lucia Chain, Italy
LUCIA CHAIN is an Italo-Argentinian brand based in Piedmont, Italy, dedicated to circularity and slow production. From her rural studio, Lucía Chain creates gender-neutral, timeless pieces using salvaged natural fabrics, zero-waste patterning, and organic dyes.
A graduate of the University of Buenos Aires and Istituto Marangoni, Chain was named one of Vogue Italia’s “Next Green Talents”. Her global career spans runways in the UK, Italy, Germany, and beyond, earning accolades such as Fashion Scout’s “Ones to Watch”. Her work, merging sustainability with art, has been exhibited at the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo among other museums.
By prioritising craftsmanship over mass production, LUCIA CHAIN works to redefine the fashion system, proving that high-end design can coexist more harmoniously with the environment.
Diek Pothoven & Douwe de Boer, MARTAN, the Netherlands
MARTAN is a fast growing, Amsterdam based fashion brand aiming to prove that more sustainable fashion can be actually exciting. Worn across Europe’s red carpets, showing at Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Paris Fashion Week, and rooted in a hyper loyal community in the Netherlands.
It is reported that approximately 27 million kilos of hotel linen is discarded each year in Europe alone. MARTAN saves this material from luxury hotels and transforms it into high-end design. Each piece is designed in their Amsterdam studio and produced in fair wage EU ateliers. A business model that is reportedly cutting CO₂ emissions by up to 82% and water use by up to 98% compared to brands using virgin or even organic cotton. In just three years, MARTAN has already diverted nearly eight tons of textile waste and counting.
Sarah O’Neill, The Zero Waster, Ireland
As the founder of The Zero Waster, Sarah Ormond O’Neill operates at the intersection of experimental design and material recovery. O’Neill is a designer whose work is grounded in the principles of regenerative design, challenging the norms of the fashion industry through innovative reuse and traceability.
With a deep-rooted respect for reclaimed materials, traditional craftsmanship, and environmental responsibility, she designs experimental garments rooted in heritage. O’Neill’s “nothing goes to waste” philosophy and small-batch production ensure that every piece honours the land and resources it originates from. By utilising limited-edition drops and a transparent supply chain, she shifts the narrative from fast consumption to intentional ownership. These garments are created to be lived in, repaired, and maintained—becoming an expression of identity rather than a passing trend.
O’Neill remains committed to community-driven, low-impact production, frequently collaborating with local partners to breathe new life into forgotten textiles. Her collections feature unique, design-led pieces repurposed from luxury deadstock fabrics. Every garment made is a commitment to creativity and radical responsibility
INTRODUCING THE 10 OTHER WINNERS:
These 10 winners will receive a share of EUR 50,000 to invest in their businesses, promotional opportunities and industry recognition:
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