Copenhagen initiative will support 15 European designers building businesses around resale, repair and other circular fashion models.
Global Fashion Agenda and Visa have launched Visa Young Creatators: Recycle the Runway, a European initiative supporting emerging designers whose businesses are built around circular fashion. The Copenhagen-led programme will provide funding, mentorship and industry exposure to creators working across resale, repair, rental, upcycling and other models intended to extend the life of garments and materials.
Fifteen designers will be selected from across Europe, with €110,000 in total funding available. The initiative is designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs turn promising circular concepts into commercially viable businesses, while addressing the practical barriers that often prevent independent fashion companies from scaling.
Fifteen designers will be selected from across Europe, with €110,000 in total funding available to help transform circular concepts into commercially viable fashion businesses.
Funding Circular Fashion Businesses.
Ten selected designers will share €50,000, while four will receive €10,000 each and an invitation to attend the Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2026. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded €20,000. Financial support forms only one part of the programme. Finalists will be paired with established solution providers to co-create products, participate in expert mentorship and develop the commercial infrastructure required to grow. They will also receive promotional support, industry recognition and access to an international network of fashion leaders.
The programme reflects growing recognition that circular fashion requires viable business models as well as material innovation. Repair, resale and rental services can reduce dependence on continuous new production, but their long-term impact depends on whether companies can make these systems accessible, desirable and financially sustainable.
Fashion Leaders Join the Selection Jury
Applications will be assessed by a jury drawn from fashion, retail, finance and sustainability. Members include Laura Ingham, Deputy Director of Global Fashion Network at Vogue; Kirsty Keoghan, General Manager of European Fashion at eBay; Shailja Dubé, Deputy Director at the British Fashion Council’s Institute of Positive Fashion; and Philip Konopik, Group Country Manager for the Nordics and Baltics at Visa Europe.
Author and podcaster Gemma Styles will serve as the programme’s ambassador and a member of the jury, helping bring wider attention to designers combining creative ambition with purpose-led business development.
Federica Marchionni, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda, said Recycle the Runway would connect emerging talent with the resources and platforms required to accelerate fashion’s transition towards circularity.
“Through Recycle the Runway, we are proud to support the next generation of creators who are reimagining how fashion is designed, produced and experienced,” Marchionni said. “By connecting creative talent with funding, mentorship and industry platforms, we continue to accelerate the transition toward a circular fashion system.”
Through Recycle the Runway, we are proud to support the next generation of creators who are reimagining how fashion is designed, produced and experienced.
Konopik emphasised the contribution that independent creators and small businesses can make to a regenerative fashion economy. He said Visa would support participants through secure commerce solutions, education, practical resources and mentorship suited to an increasingly digital marketplace.
Who Can Apply for Recycle the Runway?
Visa Young Creators: Recycle the Runway is open to Europe-based entrepreneurs working in apparel, footwear, textiles, accessories or fashion upcycling. Applicants must operate a registered business that has been active for at least one year.
Eligible companies must demonstrate a clear connection to circular fashion through models such as resale, repair, rental, refill, return systems or redistribution. The programme is therefore aimed at functioning businesses with evidence of development rather than untested concepts.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen on 6–7 May 2026, where the Grand Prize winner will be announced.
By combining direct investment with mentorship, technical collaboration and international visibility, the initiative positions circularity as a commercial discipline rather than a peripheral sustainability project. Its success will ultimately depend on whether the selected designers can translate responsible ideas into durable businesses capable of influencing how fashion is produced, sold, used and recirculated.
The initiative positions circularity as a commercial discipline rather than a peripheral sustainability project.
