This month, Teslin Doud, Carmen Gama and Lucy Jones, the first three Eileen Fisher Social Innovator Award recipients, visited the company’s Irvington, N.Y. Learning Lab. There, they spent some quality time in the Merchandising, Product Development and Manufacturing divisions—an experience that proved invaluable as they progress in their 12-month residency. CFDA.com asked each about the one key takeaway and how it relates to their journey of sustainability and social innovation. Here are their impressions:

Teslin Doud: “During our week with Manufacturing, we got a glimpse into the integrity of the Eileen Fisher supply chain. In order to create simplicity for Eileen Fisher customers, the behind-the-scenes is a busy and complicated dance. Social innovation and environmental consciousness are the backbones of Eileen Fisher manufacturing. The team here works tirelessly to track their supply chain in order to ensure fair labor and to continually integrate more and more sustainable materials and transportation. It is amazing to see these manufacturing practices completely possible and profitable for a company the size of Eileen Fisher.

We learned that you can’t just have good ideas, you need solutions too. After our visit to the local sewing and cutting factories, we were kicked back into the reality of our forth coming challenge to create an effective solution for unsellable Green Eileen garments. Although working with environmental and social consciousness can seem at times discouraging and overwhelming for a young designer, it is so inspiring to have an example like Eileen Fisher in the industry. As we continue through our rotations we are beginning to feel like we understand the industry that we are hoping to change. We are gathering the tools we need to think about the bigger picture of fashion which will help us in the coming months to curb our creativity into a realistic solution for the third life of Green Eileen garments.”

Lucy Jones: “During our rotation with Product Development we sat in many different fittings that were geared towards different body types. Proportional and sizing alterations for Petite, Missy (Main Line) and Woman (plus) gave us much to think about. How the body is so diverse per individual and how Eileen Fisher clothes really do flatter and cater to many different body types and desires. We saw the alterations required that would flatter a curvier woman, but also how the same garment can flatter a petite woman and so on. We were  thrilled to see a variety of silhouettes achieved in the Eileen Fisher line that are completely practical and even suitable for wheelchair users and women who aren’t often considered in the design process. It proves that one collection really can be inclusive with an importance on how clothes can move on the body and with the body, without focusing on one body type which is very difficult to do. Simplicity is a trend and factor focused on by many fashion houses, but inclusivity is often not considered; Eileen Fisher incorporates both. The Eileen Fisher customer is at the core of this company. Her voice is heard at all aspects of design, development, manufacturing and retail. We are so looking forward to the months that follow and how all these aspects of the company’s product, supply chain and customer will feed into our design solution for Green Eileen.”

Carmen Gama: “During our rotation with product development, we were given a small and fun project to make clothes for a teddy bear which will be auctioned off to raise money for charity. We decided to dress Mr. Fisher (that’s what we called him) with iconic EF styles utilizing Green Eileen recycled garments.  We made wide leg linen pants and layered a box top over an underpinning. We even felted a reversible merino vest using two Eileen Fisher sweaters with felting techniques. We saved all the existing buttons and labels from the original garments and sewed them into the new clothes to illustrate the story of where Mr. Fisher’s clothes originated from. With the Mr. Fisher charity bear project we got the great opportunity to get our hands on Green Eileen clothing and to start thinking about the different possibilities and solutions for our future project.

Editor’s Note: The Eileen Fisher Social Innovator Award is a partnership between Eileen Fisher Inc. and the CFDA. As part of the 12-month residency, which kicked off on Aug. 31, the three recipients will work alongside the Eileen Fisher designers, merchandisers and social consciousness teams and come up with a design solution for Fisher’s recycled garments with the aim to support the brand’s Vision2020 sustainability goals.