Finalists in the Ethic 2008 competition, run by WorldSkills UK, watched their environmentally friendly creations parade down a catwalk at London’s Fashion and Textile Museum last week.

The competition was open to anyone with an interest in fashion design, production and fashion business management, and was designed to support the development of people preparing to be fashion designers.

The organisers were looking for artistic and creative entries with an eye for color, texture and pattern, as well as good drawing and production skills, together with an understanding of the properties of different fabrics. Just ten teams made it into the final.

Environmental consultant Joanna Yarrow, author of the book 1001 Ways You Can Save the Planet, hosted the event. “What I have always tried to do is to find ways of making green and more ethical living exciting, tangible and aspirational,” she said.

Designs had to combine current trends and style while addressing at least one of the key ethical fashion issues, such as fair-trade, organic materials, recycling, animal-friendly fabrics or innovative environmentally-friendly new materials. The young designers also had to produce their creation for less than $200, provided by the Eco Design Network.

A panel of ethical fashion experts including Kate Carter from The Guardian newspaper, Jenny White founder of Eco-Boudoir, and the Fashion and Textile Museum’s creative director David Reeson judged the entries.

The Urbanites, a team from Hackney Community College, picked up the coveted award, watched by fashion luminaries such as Zandra Rhodes. They walked away with over $900 in cash sponsorship and a brand new sewing machine from event sponsor Brother.