PCIAW?VOICE: Announcing The PCIAW? Awards Winners 2023
Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide Ltd (PCIAW?)
![Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide Ltd (PCIAW?)]()
Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide Ltd (PCIAW?)
The PCIAW? is the first and only worldwide association dedicated exclusively to the professional clothing industry.
On the 9th November 2023, the PCIAW? Awards ceremony celebrated the innovations of businesses and individuals across the uniform, workwear and PPE markets in Porto, Portugal, bringing the awards to the European mainland for the first time.
The PCIAW? Awards event brings together one of the largest networks of international executives and industry experts from across the professional clothing industry to recognise the innovators who push us forward to create a sustainable, safe and protected future.
This year’s event was sponsored by: Carrington Textiles, ANIVEC, Gresham Blake, Stuncroft, Bodi.Me, Milliken & Company, and Westex: A Milliken Brand.?
“The PCIAW? is proud to advocate for the progressive innovation in professional clothing. The awards ceremony is an international platform to recognise the advancement of new ideas and solutions – and an excellent opportunity for our Trusted Members to network.”
John Miln, Chairman, PCIAW?
PCIAW? Awards 2023
This year there were 16 awards on offer in many categories and areas of the industry, from inclusive uniform design to innovation in digital manufacturing and transformational technology.
“The PCIAW? Awards 2023 marked a new high for international competition and focus. With so many outstanding entries, the independent judging panel faced quite a challenge. Their excellent work culminated in a well-deserved group of winners. My sincere congratulations to all of this year’s honorees.”
Yvette Ashby, Founder & CEO, PCIAW?
PCA VISION 2023
The PCIAW? Awards kicked off with the beloved PCA VISION student design competition. Every year students are challenged to create practical and fashionable designs with a sustainability focus. From fabric selection to production methods and end-of-life planning, students have complete freedom to design a commercially viable outfit for the professional clothing industry. Their innovative designs set the tone for an evening celebrating creativity and conscience in the Uniform, Workwear and PPE industry.
Presented by Nisha Muire, Uniform Program Manager at Air Canada, and César Araújo, the President of ANIVEC; CEO of Calvelex and Board Director of PCIAW?, PCA VISION 2023 saw finalists showcasing their brilliant designs on the PCA VISION catwalk.
PCA VISION was sponsored by ANIVEC and Carrington Textiles.
PCA VISION Winner 2023
Sophie Woodliffe; Manchester Metropolitan University
Designing Workwear for air traffic control (ATC) ground crew, Sophie has combined modern comfortable styles with all the practical elements needed to keep ATC crew safe. The garments are deconstructable for recyclability using sew-on reflective strips and recycled polymer. Elasticated drawstrings, zip guards, and Velcro are used at the openings to keep wearers safe and the garments clean
Megan Dyson
Inspired by the swarms of yellow taxis and sharp edges of the New York City skyline, this corporatewear design represents a functional and sleek suit design. The suit will be cut from deadstock material to make the garment environmentally friendly, while the design includes all the pockets and vents necessary to make the garment practical.
Sarah Young
This corporatewear design is based on a system of modular elements which can be zipped and unzipped to add or remove length, while additional panels can be used to tighten the garment to fit the wearer’s shape. The design is gender-neutral due to its high customizability and form-fitting design, while it remains sustainable due to the compostable fabrics and novel combinations.
Connor Read
Based on the needs of wildlife conservationists, this design utilises waterproof materials and design elements to ensure conservationists have both the movement necessary for taking observations while also utilising waterproof fabrics to keep scientists dry and comfortable. The jacket also includes a mosquito belay net, and the fabric would be made of recycled bottles reclaimed from the ocean.
PCIAW? Awards Winners
After PCA VISION came the Industry Awards, starting with the Professional Clothing Design Awards:
Professional Clothing Design – Presented by Karen Burrows, Chairman Madeira UK, and Natalie Wilson, Managing Director Shield 360
Retail & Banking Uniform – Gresham Blake
Hospitality & Leisure Uniform – Incorporatewear
Police, Fire & Military Design – PhantomLeaf Textiles
Aviation & Passenger Transport Uniform – Incorporatewear
Healthcare Design – Fiber2Fashion Consulting
Inclusive Design – Cooneen
PPE Innovation in Clothing – OPTITEX
Manufacturer Awards – Presented by Elena Lai, Secretary General of ETSA
Innovative Global Manufacturer Award – Cobmex
Fabric & Fibre Award – Carrington Textiles
Digitalised Manufacturer – Calvelex
Suppliers & Distributors Awards – Presented by Jerry Moris
Best Managed Major Uniform Contract – Cooneen Group
Transformational Technology – Bodi.Me
Best Consultancy & Service – Workwear Solutions International
Sustainability Awards – Presented by Fernanda Dias, Director General of Economic Activities at the Portuguese Ministry of Economy and Maritime Trade
Circular Product Award – Fiber2Fashion Consulting
Sustainable Business Award – Meryl Fabrics
Lifetime Achievement Award – Presented by Nisha Muire, Uniform Program Manager at Air Canada, and Yvette Ashby, CEO and Founder of PCIAW?
Lifetime Achievement Award – John Miln
With the PCIAW? Awards concluded for 2023, we are excited to announce we will be back in the UK in October 2024.
Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest news from PCIAW? regarding our next event, and we congratulate all our awards winners for their marvelous work.
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Read it now: PCIAW?VOICE Issue 14