The 2026 Fashion Circular Economy Competition has recognised Ninyes, Sustinare and By Hinders for their efforts to make the fashion and textile industry more sustainable by extending product lifespans, promoting repairs and making better use of locally sourced materials.
The winners were announced at the I love me fair, held at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre from 16 to 18 October 2026. Organised for the fifth time by I love me and Jalotus, the competition highlights businesses that are developing practical ways to reduce waste and advance circular economy practices in fashion and textiles.
The competition has two categories, Lifetime Extender and Inspirer. Each category carries a €4,000 recognition award from the Finnish Fair Foundation. In an exceptional decision this year, the Lifetime Extender award was shared between Ninyes and Sustinare, with each organisation receiving €2,000. By Hinders won the Inspirer category.
The winners were selected by an expert jury comprising Emilia Gädda, Chief Advisor of Sustainability and Circular Economy at Finnish Textile & Fashion; Pirjo Hirvonen, Professor Emerita of Fashion at Aalto University; and Tarja-Kaarina Laamanen, Sustainability Specialist and University Lecturer in Craft Science at the University of Helsinki.
Ninyes and Sustinare were recognised for addressing different challenges in extending the useful life of clothing and other products. Ninyes works with fashion brands to resell pre-owned items, customer returns and surplus stock, helping businesses bring products back into circulation rather than allowing them to remain unused.
Its resale service also gives fashion brands a way to incorporate second-hand sales into their existing business operations. By creating opportunities for unwanted or previously owned products to find new customers, the company supports a business model that places greater value on items already in existence.
Sustinare, meanwhile, is developing a digital service that connects consumers with tailors and cobblers. The aim is to make repair services easier to find and use, encouraging people to maintain their belongings instead of replacing them when they become damaged or worn.
The jury praised the two companies for offering complementary approaches to circular fashion. It highlighted Ninyes for making resale a more accessible part of the fashion business while improving the appeal of pre-owned products. Sustinare was recognised for addressing barriers to repair and strengthening connections between consumers, businesses and skilled repair professionals.
According to the jury, extending product lifespans requires more than one business model. Resale allows existing products to reach new owners, while repair helps people continue using items they already own. The judges concluded that both companies offer practical solutions that can influence consumer behaviour and help preserve the value of clothing and other products.
By Hinders received the Inspirer award for its work with Finnish sheep’s wool and its efforts to connect domestic raw materials with local manufacturing and durable design. Founded by Jonathan Ingberg, the company is developing products that demonstrate how locally sourced wool can be used in contemporary fashion and textile production.
Its approach covers the value chain from raw material to finished product, placing emphasis on the relationship between Finnish sheep farming, material sourcing, manufacturing and design. By Hinders aims to create opportunities for domestic wool while supporting the wider Finnish textile and fashion sector.
The jury highlighted the company’s long-term commitment to development, its clear design direction and its ability to bring locally sourced materials and production together in a consistent business model. It also noted the potential for Finnish sheep’s wool to support products that appeal to international markets while creating value from a renewable domestic resource.
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The award recognises By Hinders as an example of how local materials, craftsmanship and considered design can contribute to a more circular fashion industry. Rather than treating sustainability as a single production decision, the company’s approach connects material sourcing with manufacturing and the quality of the finished product.
The three winners illustrate different ways businesses can reduce waste and keep resources in use for longer. Resale, repair and the development of domestic material supply chains address separate parts of the fashion industry’s environmental challenge, from the continued use of existing products to the production of new goods.
The Fashion Circular Economy Competition is supported by the Finnish Fair Foundation, a non-profit organisation that awards grants, scholarships and recognition prizes to support Finnish expertise and business life. The foundation distributes approximately €500,000 annually and supports work addressing challenges including the environment, demographic change, technology, digitalisation, the economy and urbanisation.
The competition is organised by I love me and Jalotus. Jalotus is a nationwide sustainable living movement that encourages people to pursue fulfilling lives within the planet’s ecological limits.
