Redress, the environmental NGO with a mission to accelerate the change to a circular fashion industry by educating and empowering designers and consumers so as to reduce clothing’s negative environmental impacts, has produced an editorial photoshoot with upcoming runway looks crafted by the Finalists of the Redress Design Award 2023.
The Redress Design Award is organised by Redress and supported by Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor. This year’s Finalists will join an expenses-paid educational trip to Hong Kong culminating in a runway showcase of their designs at the Grand Final Fashion Show on 7 September, to be held at CENTRESTAGE in Hong Kong and livestreamed to the world.
With ‘Reflection’ as the theme, the photoshoot honours the power that designers have in creating fashion more sustainably, with 80% of a garment’s environmental impact locked in at the design stage (1). The photoshoot is styled by leading Hong Kong creative and influencer Kayla Wong, photographed by Kim Lo, and incorporates various mirrored surfaces. The aesthetics evoke the pressing need for reflection — on the rising textile waste crisis contributing to global climate change, and on the future of fashion as imagined by the waste-reducing designs of the competition Finalists.
The looks will be featured in both the printed and digital Redress Design Award 2023 magazine. The environmental impact of delivering the Finalists’ collections to Hong Kong for the photoshoot and upcoming Grand Final was offset by UPS’ carbon neutral shipping service.
Each Finalist collection features innovative solutions to the issue of textile waste, with elements such as fabric recreated from denim scraps, embellishments made from plastic and electronic waste, and a zero-waste appliqué technique that incorporates minute textile fragments from the pattern-cutting process.
“The Finalists of the Redress Design Award are the next generation of creatives who will change the future of fashion. It is such a privilege to work with them and get up close with their creative looks made by transforming textile waste. I can’t wait to see them on the runway in Hong Kong, my hometown,” shares Kayla Wong, photoshoot stylist and founder of LANG, a retail space that empowers Asian artists and designers.
Early next month, the Finalists’ collections will be judged based on their use of circular design strategies of designing for low impact and processes, low waste, longevity, and recyclability, as well as criteria such as creativity, marketability and scalability. The esteemed panel of international judges from across the fashion industry includes Kévin Germanier, Creative Director, GERMANIER and Alumnus, Redress Design Award; Orsola de Castro, Author and Co-founder, Fashion Revolution; and Angus Tsui, Creative Director, ANGUS TSUI and Alumnus, Redress Design Award; among others.
In addition to the judging process, in the week leading up to the Grand Final Fashion Show, the Finalists will be hosted in Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West as they participate in a whirlwind of circular fashion design experiences, including a visit to a large-scale garment factory and real-world circularity challenges with TAL Apparel and sustainable luxury retail packaging experts Delta Global. All Finalists will also join the Redress Design Award Alumni Network, which offers ongoing support to designers as they develop their careers in sustainable fashion.
