UAL’s commitment to sustainability has been celebrated through a series of nominations and awards. UAL talent received several nominations and an award at the recent Observer Ethical Awards, which was followed by seven nominations for this year’s Green Gown Awards.

The Observer Ethical Awards, which took place on 2 July at the V&A and are now in their tenth year, highlight ethical and environmental success throughout the UK and internationally. UAL’s work on improving the ethical and environmental standards of its suppliers – through the implementation of an index measuring sustainability ineconomic, social and environmental terms – led to a nomination in the arts and culture category. Visit meetthetide.com to find out more

The sustainable style category award was won by a group of London College of Fashion alumni from the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. They currently work as mentors at the Centre, and their enterprise, ‘Here Today Here Tomorrow’ sells fashion items and accessories that have a known provenance. Also shortlisted for the sustainable style award was London College of Fashion’s Rosalie McMillan, who works on the Centre for Sustainable Fashion’s business support programme. She was nominated for her handcrafted ‘java rock’ necklace, made from material derived from recycled coffee grounds. Lucy Siegle, who hosted the awards, was wearing an outfit from womenswear brand Kitty Ferreira, which was founded by London College of Fashion graduate Valerie Goode and is also part of the Centre’s business support programme. The Centre’s director, fashion designer Dilys Williams, has held the honour of sitting on the judging panel since 2008, and was joined this year by luminaries including children’s charity founder Camila Batmanghelidjh and broadcaster Stacey Dooley.

UAL also received several nominations for the Green Gown Awards including a nomination in the food and drink category for ‘Food for Life’, its catering facility, the first of its kind to receive the Gold Catering Mark by the Soil Association. The Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK. Other nominated projects came from London College of Fashion, including Rachel Clowes’s ‘Grow a Garment’ initiative in the research and development category and ‘Creative Collaborations/Design+Make’ in the community innovation category. London College of Fashion’s Professor Frances Corner OBE, Dr Rosemary Willatt and student Charlotte Rebekah Instone have also been shortlisted for the awards.

These accolades demonstrate the impact of UAL’s sustainability agenda. The finalists of the Green Gown Awards will be announced on 26 November.