Blue Lenz Awards: Inside Transformers Foundation’s Educational Series
Carved in Blue recently hosted our second annual Blue Lenz Video Awards. Out of the many videos posted to our Blue Lenz YouTube channel over the year, we chose the top films in each of six categories, and the winners were announced at a ceremony on Aug. 31. Thank you to everyone who entered, our judges and our host, Bluezone at Munich Fabric Start.
Transformers Foundation took home the award for Best Educational Video/Series for its Transformers ED series. The three-day Transformers ED event in October 2021 featured talks about sustainability, circularity, the supply chain and denim careers, among other topics.
We spoke to Ani Wells, communications lead at Transformers Foundation, about the organization’s role in educating the next generation and what it takes to put the event together.
Carved in Blue: What was the concept or inspiration behind your winning series?
Ani: Our educational event goal is to reach as many students and consumers globally to provide free education about key subjects of sustainability in the denim industry. Transformers ED programs have been a true testament to our mission in bringing together leading experts of the denim industry to pass on their knowledge to the upcoming generation.
Carved in Blue: Why did you feel it was important to explore this topic?
Ani: Students are the future of our industry. It is our responsibility to equip the upcoming generation with the knowledge and tools that they need to continue our mission of creating a fair and just industry. With every event that we do, we are more hopeful that the future of the denim supply chain lies within very good hands.
Carved in Blue: Could you describe the process behind creating this content?
Ani: We would not be able to create these events without the support from our collaborators. For each Transformers ED event, we join forces with schools and industry partners to ensure the content is customized to each specific region or group of students. From here, our network of experts create presentations focused on the best practices of each step in the denim supply chain—from fiber to finish and beyond. It is important to us to keep events inspirational and engaging while being left with a hunger to disrupt the industry.
Carved in Blue: What was the most challenging part of producing this video?
Ani: The most challenging aspect of producing Transformers ED is finding the right experts who are willing to contribute their time to educating the next generations. All of our speakers are volunteers who share our mission and believe education is key to guarantee the long-term success of our industry. If you or your company share these values and wish to support us in our educational programs, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Carved in Blue: What stands out as a memorable moment from behind-the-scenes?
Ani: A memorable moment from behind-the-scenes is seeing the excitement of our organizers and collaborators when a program is complete. Since we plan these events virtually through Zoom, our facial expressions say a lot!
Carved in Blue: Why is video such a powerful medium for denim storytelling?
Ani: Video is the most engaging format of content and denim, being an extremely tactile industry and garment, needs more than a few words and some photographs to truly understand its nuances. This video format allows us to dive deep into subject matter while keeping our audience engaged—whether they are watching from their classroom or from their homes.