Parley for the Oceans championed by The Fashion Awards 2018

Parley for the Oceans is being honored by The Fashion Awards 2018.

The environmental organization's founder Cyrill Gutsch has been announced as the winner of the ceremony's ‘Special Recognition Award for Innovation,' in honor of the group's "commitment to highlighting the devastating effects of plastic on our environment."

Since being founded by Gutsch in 2012, Parley has carved out a reputation as a major innovator, focusing on raising awareness about the fragility of the oceans. It has collaborated with multiple brands and designers to incorporate recycled ocean materials into various fashion collections, with its most famous partnerships including its relationship with the sportswear giant Adidas, resulting in the first soccer, football and running performance collections to be made with its Ocean Plastic. The initiative has paid off; football teams such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich all made the switch to Ocean Plastic for their third kits for the 2018/2019 season, and according to Forbes, the adidas x Parley partnership has earned over $1 billion in revenue. The organization has also recently teamed up with the British designer Stella McCartney to release footwear made from Ocean Plastic through the adidas x Stella McCartney collaboration.

The Special Recognition Award for Innovation is designed to highlight an innovative brand or an individual that focuses on tackling and raising awareness of environmental issues. Gutsch will accept the award on December 10 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, alongside some of the biggest names in the fashion industry. Fellow honorees at this year's event include the Italian fashion designer Miuccia Prada and photography duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

The Fashion Awards, which is held annually in partnership with Swarovski, recognizes creativity and innovation in fashion, celebrating the designers and industry figures that have broken new ground over the past 12 months while raising funds for the BFC's educational initiatives.