Avantii Receives the 2025 Social Design Award for Sustainable Practices and Social Value Creation

Avantii: Pioneering Sustainable Practices in the Textile Industry

Avantii Corporation, headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo, has recently been honored with the prestigious 2025 Social Design Award, organized by the Social Design Society. This recognition highlights the company's exceptional efforts in promoting sustainable manufacturing and creating social value since its establishment in 1985.

A Commitment to Sustainability

The guiding principle of Avantii, “Four-way satisfaction for producers, sellers, buyers, and society,” has driven its commitment to sustainable practices throughout the supply chain. Avantii became a pioneer in Japan's organic cotton market in 1990 by importing organic cotton for the first time. By 1994, the company had established a comprehensive supply chain capable of providing everything from raw cotton to yarn, fabric, and finished products. This strategic initiative played a significant role in branding and developing the organic cotton market in Japan.

Moreover, Avantii's robust business model ensures stable profitability while actively addressing global social issues such as child labor and the challenges posed by mass production and waste. Their efforts in the “Re-cotton” program and the “Domestic Cotton Project” have garnered high praise for contributing solutions to environmental and social challenges. These initiatives also promote gender equality through women's employment, reinforcing Avantii's mission to realize a sustainable society through organic cotton.

About the Social Design Award

The Social Design Award aims to recognize researchers and practitioners who contribute to the creation of knowledge and skills essential for sustaining and revitalizing society during a paradigm shift in contemporary life. Established by the Social Design Society, this award seeks to deepen and advance the field of social design, with the outcomes expected to benefit future societal development.

Award Ceremony Highlights

On December 14, 2025, the award ceremony and a commemorative lecture by the recipient were held at Rikkyo University's Ikebukuro Campus, in the Tachikawa Memorial Hall. CEO Hideko Okumori took to the stage to deliver a lecture titled “Solving Social and Environmental Issues through Organic Cotton Business – Changing the Earth into a Habitat for All Living Beings.” In her presentation, she discussed Avantii's innovative cotton circularization initiatives and the Domestic Cotton Revival Project, illustrating a vision for a sustainable future centered on organic cotton.

Key Evaluation Criteria

According to the evaluation points by the Social Design Society, Avantii has been recognized as a trailblazer in social business centered around organic cotton. Since its inception in 1985, the company has consistently practiced its principle of four-way satisfaction, showcasing coherent efforts across various dimensions:

1. Branding of Organic Cotton: Organic cotton constitutes about 1% of global cotton production, with Japan largely relying on imports. Under the vision of its initial CEO, Tomoko Watanabe, Avantii pioneered the import of organic cotton, laying the groundwork for a sustainable textile industry. The company has built a supply chain that fosters close connections with farmers while ensuring products from yarn to fabric are produced domestically.

2. Profitable Business Strategy: Despite the common perception that ethical products are hard to mainstream profitably, Avantii has maintained a stable profit margin through unique business strategies. The company's women-led team has also been commended for exploring market opportunities driven by gender perspectives.

3. Messages for a Sustainable Society: The global cotton industry faces significant challenges, including excessive pesticide use and child labor. Avantii actively undertakes initiatives addressing these social issues. Following the 2011 earthquake, the company launched a cotton cultivation project in Fukushima to rehabilitate land contaminated by the nuclear accident. Starting in 2023, Avantii plans to mix domestically grown organic cotton into its products, aiming for a 2% ratio of domestic cotton by 2030. The company also champions social business initiatives that promote women's empowerment, environmental conservation, and social inclusion. In the fashion industry, where rampant mass production and waste are critical issues, Avantii engages in a “Cotton Bank” to recover discarded clothing and fabric. They also focus on circular economy practices, making significant strides towards sustainability.

Avantii's initiatives to address environmental and social challenges while enhancing gender equality through women-centered employment exemplify their deserving recognition by the Social Design Award.

Contact for the Social Design Award

For inquiries regarding the Social Design Award, please contact the Social Design Society Office at 03-6822-9901 during business hours (9:30 AM to 5 PM) or via email at [email protected]. More information is available on their website: Social Design Society.