Fashion Industry Shifts Gears with 1 Granary Design Awards
The fashion world is taking notice of a new platform that's shaking up the status quo. 1 Granary, founded by Ukrainian-born Olya Kuryshchuk, has introduced a design awards show that puts the spotlight on those behind the scenes – rather than just the household names.
Unlike traditional fashion awards, where winners are celebrated for their individual achievements, 1 Granary's approach is refreshingly different. Instead of crowning one star, they're recognizing teams of designers, models, and other creatives who work tirelessly to bring collections to life. The platform aims to give credit where it's due, acknowledging the collective effort that goes into creating influential fashion.
Kuryshchuk, a former design student at Central Saint Martins, was inspired by the architecture industry's practice of crediting the entire team involved in a project. She realized that fashion was lagging behind in this regard and set out to change that.
"We just want to follow a very simple principle: to credit the people who create the work," Kuryshchuk said. "Fashion is an outlier when it comes to giving recognition to those behind the scenes."
The 1 Granary Design Awards feature 20 categories, with winners chosen by a diverse group of designers, brand heads, and industry insiders – including Veronica Leoni at Calvin Klein and Julian Klausner at Dries Van Noten. The platform has already made waves in the fashion world, tackling topics like AI's impact on stylists and the collapse of online store Ssense.
Kuryshchuk's vision for 1 Granary goes beyond recognition; she aims to create a community hub that advocates for the rights of jobbing designers. She believes this shift in focus is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the fashion industry.
"For me, it's about re-establishing what fashion looked like when I started and trying to maintain something for the future," Kuryshchuk said. "We all entered fashion education with a very romantic idea of the industry... And we started discovering that the majority of graduates will never work in design."
Dal Chodha, the leader of Central Saint Martins' fashion communication image course, praises Kuryshchuk's efforts. "1 Granary has brought advocacy for those behind the scenes," he said. "It's almost a union in lots of ways. Who do you go to if you work at a major design house?"
Kuryshchuk's presence at international fashion weeks and her connections with teams across the industry have been pivotal in spreading 1 Granary's message. She's not seeking personal recognition; instead, she's using her platform to stir change.
"I think [Kuryshchuk] makes people nervous in the way that union members make people nervous," Chodha said. "She upsets the apple cart. There aren't many bold voices in our industry talking about the exhausted, exploited designers who are making these collections and are locked in studios overnight."
As 1 Granary continues to push boundaries, it's clear that Kuryshchuk is on a mission to create lasting change in the fashion industry – one recognition at a time.
The fashion world is taking notice of a new platform that's shaking up the status quo. 1 Granary, founded by Ukrainian-born Olya Kuryshchuk, has introduced a design awards show that puts the spotlight on those behind the scenes – rather than just the household names.
Unlike traditional fashion awards, where winners are celebrated for their individual achievements, 1 Granary's approach is refreshingly different. Instead of crowning one star, they're recognizing teams of designers, models, and other creatives who work tirelessly to bring collections to life. The platform aims to give credit where it's due, acknowledging the collective effort that goes into creating influential fashion.
Kuryshchuk, a former design student at Central Saint Martins, was inspired by the architecture industry's practice of crediting the entire team involved in a project. She realized that fashion was lagging behind in this regard and set out to change that.
"We just want to follow a very simple principle: to credit the people who create the work," Kuryshchuk said. "Fashion is an outlier when it comes to giving recognition to those behind the scenes."
The 1 Granary Design Awards feature 20 categories, with winners chosen by a diverse group of designers, brand heads, and industry insiders – including Veronica Leoni at Calvin Klein and Julian Klausner at Dries Van Noten. The platform has already made waves in the fashion world, tackling topics like AI's impact on stylists and the collapse of online store Ssense.
Kuryshchuk's vision for 1 Granary goes beyond recognition; she aims to create a community hub that advocates for the rights of jobbing designers. She believes this shift in focus is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the fashion industry.
"For me, it's about re-establishing what fashion looked like when I started and trying to maintain something for the future," Kuryshchuk said. "We all entered fashion education with a very romantic idea of the industry... And we started discovering that the majority of graduates will never work in design."
Dal Chodha, the leader of Central Saint Martins' fashion communication image course, praises Kuryshchuk's efforts. "1 Granary has brought advocacy for those behind the scenes," he said. "It's almost a union in lots of ways. Who do you go to if you work at a major design house?"
Kuryshchuk's presence at international fashion weeks and her connections with teams across the industry have been pivotal in spreading 1 Granary's message. She's not seeking personal recognition; instead, she's using her platform to stir change.
"I think [Kuryshchuk] makes people nervous in the way that union members make people nervous," Chodha said. "She upsets the apple cart. There aren't many bold voices in our industry talking about the exhausted, exploited designers who are making these collections and are locked in studios overnight."
As 1 Granary continues to push boundaries, it's clear that Kuryshchuk is on a mission to create lasting change in the fashion industry – one recognition at a time.
... I mean, don't get me wrong, it's great that 1 Granary is trying to give credit where it's due, but sometimes I think we lose sight of what really matters – the people behind the scenes. It's like going back to when fashion was more about art than just being a celebrity designer 
... anyway, I'm glad someone is finally speaking up for all those "jobbing designers" who are working tirelessly to make our clothes and whatnot. Maybe this 1 Granary thing will inspire some change in the industry? Fingers crossed! 
. Finally, someone's giving those unsung heroes behind the scenes the recognition they deserve 
! It's like, we're always talking about the top models and designers, but what about all the people who work tirelessly to make their collections happen? The stylists, the pattern makers, the fabric suppliers... it's time to give credit where credit is due 
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. It's like, we need more people speaking out about the industry's exploitation issues and pushing for real change 
. And let's be real, it's not just about recognizing individual achievements, it's about acknowledging the collective effort that goes into creating something truly amazing 
.
. Kuryshchuk is shaking things up and I am here for it 
!
I think it's about time someone shook up the fashion world and gave credit where it's due! 
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. But Kuryshchuk is on a mission to change that, and I couldn't be more here for it 
. The fact that they're advocating for the rights of jobbing designers is so important – it's time we start giving those guys some love 
. That's what I call progress! 
... it's about time we give those behind the scenes some cred too 
... like, i was scrollin through 1 granary design awards and saw this list of winners and i'm like wow, these people are actually doin somethin 
... olya kuryshchuk is on a roll 
... anyway, can we pls get more events like this? 
Finally, someone's giving those behind-the-scenes folks some love 
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. And I gotta say, I'm intrigued by the 20 categories they have for awards... sounds like a whole lotta work 
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. Maybe we'll finally start seeing some real change in the fashion world 