The Redress Design Award 2023 global sustainable design competition opens with support from Create Hong Kong and VF Corporation, further cementing Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and the region to drive sustainability in the global fashion industry
HONG KONG SAR – 12 January 2023 – Environmental NGO Redress opened the Redress Design Award 2023, the 13th cycle of the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition at a prominent industry gathering in Hong Kong on 11 January, where fashion industry leaders with global influence gathered, just days after the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland, to discuss the region’s opportunity to drive circular fashion globally.
The Redress Design Award, which is supported by Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as the lead sponsor, educates and empowers emerging fashion designers about circular fashion, against the background that 80% of a product’s environmental impact is laid down at the design stage. Homegrown in Hong Kong since 2011, the educational competition’s global footprint attracts applicants from over 50 countries and enjoys support from over 150 universities globally, with thousands of hopeful designers over the competition’s history battling to finesse and showcase their innovative design skills on the global stage to win the chance of collaborating with leading fashion businesses.
Speaking at the Redress Design Award 2023 launch event in Hong Kong, Mrs. Lowell Cho, Assistant Head of Create Hong Kong, thanked Redress for organising the competition again and looked forward to seeing the 10 international finalists meeting in Hong Kong in person, which would be the first time after the outbreak of the pandemic.
The 2023 competition cycle is again partnering with VF Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies of iconic brands including Timberland® and The North Face®. Following the Grand Final Fashion Presentation in September in Hong Kong, the first prize winner will join VF Corporation’s innovative business for a sustainable design collaboration.
Meanwhile, Timberland® of VF Corporation is unveiling their sustainable Lunar New Year 2023 collection designed in collaboration with previous winner, Taiwan designer Jessica Chang. Among the collection pieces, Jessica’s two-in-one jacket design features a workwear-inspired inner jacket and an all-over printed vest that can be worn in multiple ways, offering a versatile design with longevity in mind for consumers.
“Redress is galvanising the emerging designer sustainable design movement, creating change at the drawing board,” shared Mr. Sean Cady, Vice President of Global Sustainability and Responsibility, VF Corporation. “VF is passionate about magnifying the impacts of the Redress Design Award winners, and Timberland’s recent collaboration with Jessica demonstrates how the competition is positively influencing what’s available for consumers.”
“Redress has a bold vision: to build a world in which fashion is circular,” said Dr. Christina Dean, Founder of Redress, the Hong Kong-headquartered and Asia-focused NGO, at the official launch event of the Redress Design Award 2023. “Whilst the fashion industry has grappled with many challenging Covid-related supply chain impacts and a challenging economy, we can’t ignore fashion’s worsening environmental and waste crisis. Asia is the global fashion industry’s engine of production and, increasingly, consumption, and we must urgently raise our game and promote Asian innovation further. Together with emerging designers, academia, business, and government, we have great power to accelerate a circular fashion industry globally.”
Asia accounts for around 60% of global exports of garments, textiles, and footwear, and China is the world’s biggest fashion consumer market. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the heart of Asia and gateway to the Mainland of China, Redress is in a prime position to address the issue of waste within the fashion industry. The equivalent of one rubbish truck of textiles is landfilled or burned every second, global textile waste estimated to increase by 63% by 2030, and the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions — more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined⁶.
From semi-finalists, finalists, to alumni
Online applications for the Redress Design Award 2023 are open from 12 January, and will close on 16 March 2023. Following semi-final judging, 10 finalists will be announced on 10 May, and those residing abroad will come to Hong Kong in September for the Grand Final Week activities.
The competition invites emerging fashion designers to pursue their dreams in community, being supported in their careers by their fellow designers and forging friendships along the way. Those who make it to the semi-finals or beyond will join the Redress Design Award Alumni Network, a community offering various career enhancement opportunities in sustainable design, with alumni achievements including fashion weeks, brand collaborations, and more.
The network boasts over 270 alumni from the competition from 45 countries, 42% of whom are residing in Asia, who are all pushing the movement forwards through launching their own sustainable brands or working at global brands to accelerate circular practices from all corners of the global fashion industry. Details of these alumni can be found on the Redress Design Award website at www.redressdesignaward.com/
Editor’s Notes
- The Redress Design Award 2023 is open to applications from emerging designers and students with less than four years’ professional experience from around the globe, focusing on both womenswear and menswear original collection designs. Finalists will be announced on 10 May 2023.
- The Redress Design Award is run by environmental NGO, Redress, and supported by Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as the Lead Sponsor. Other key partners include VF Corporation, TAL Group, and UPS.
- Judges for the Redress Design Award 2023 are Mr. Simon Au, Managing Editor of Vogue and Vogue Man Hong Kong; Ms. Orsola de Castro, Author, and Co-founder, Fashion Revolution; a representative from TAL Apparel Ltd to be named; Mr. Kévin Germanier, Creative Director, GERMANIER and Alumnus, Redress Design Award; Mr. Dorian Ho, Creative Director and CEO, Doriano International Ltd; Mr. Angus Tsui, Creative Director, Angus Tsui and Alumnus, Redress Design Award.
- Read more about 2021 winner Jessica Chang and her collaboration with Timberland for Lunar New Year 2023 in an interview here.
- Explore more of the issues underpinning the Redress Design Award here.
About Redress
Redress is a Hong Kong headquartered, Asia focused 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.
The Redress Design Award ( www.redressdesignaward.com) is the world’s largest circular fashion design competition that educates and empowers emerging fashion designers about circular design strategies and techniques so as to reduce fashion’s negative environmental impacts. Organised by Hong Kong headquartered, Asia focused environmental NGO Redress since 2011, and with 150 global fashion university partners, it attracts designers from over 50 countries to win prizes that connect them with global-leading fashion businesses so as to accelerate the change to a circular fashion industry.
About Create Hong Kong ( www.createhk.gov.hk)
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK has been sponsoring the Redress Design Award (formerly the EcoChic Design Award) since 2011 to promote Hong Kong’s fashion design.
Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.
