Fashion label The Social Outfit has taken out this year’s Gold National Banksia Sustainability Award.
Through designing and selling clothes, the Sydney-based label helps migrant and refugee women kick-start their Australian careers in fashion while also reducing textile waste.
The Social Outfit also scored the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award.
The 35th National Banksia Sustainability Awards awards businesses exceeding in environmental and social sustainability, with winners across 14 categories announced at a gala event in Melbourne on Thursday, April 4.
Banksia Foundation CEO Graz van Egmond said this was the first year a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award winner had taken out the top Gold Banksia award.
“It’s an important milestone for our awards,” van Egmond said. “We often think about sustainability through a purely environmental lens, but social sustainability is also critical.
“The Social Outfit’s work delivers both environmentally and social sustainability, and our judges couldn’t look past it.”
Judges noted the ‘tangible impacts’ of The Social Outfit’s work across a range of sustainable development goals, suggesting they serve as a model for other organisations to create broad social and sector impact.
Two other finalists from the apparel and textiles sector were also recognised on the night for their social impact, with Bared Footwear and Underwear for Humanity singled out as award winners.
“These results show the great work underway in an often-maligned sector,” van Egmond said.
Finalists from the travel, agriculture, infrastructure, banking, conservation and emergency services sectors were also announced as winners, including the Reconnect Project, a social enterprise closing Australia's digital divide and training a new generation of repairers - winner of the Circular Economy Award.
“It’s fantastic to see so many organisations - both big and small - from across the Australian economy be recognised as true champions of sustainability and social impact,” van Egmond said.
“Banksia is delighted to recognise the positive environmental and social impacts of this year’s winners and finalists, and we urge them to make further progress towards sustainable development.”