The Redress Design Award 2019 is the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition. Organised by Redress, the competition works to educate emerging fashion designers around the world about sustainable design theories and techniques in order to drive growth towards a circular fashion system. Apply now!
Josephine Raun was a semi-finalist of the Redress Design Award 2014/15. She is based in Denmark from where she runs her womenswear brand, Phine Raun Fashion Design. Image via Redress Design Award 2019, all rights reserved.
By putting sustainable design talent in the global spotlight, the competition creates a unique platform for passionate and talented fashion game-changers to transform the global fashion industry and rewards the best with career-changing prizes to maximise long-term impact.
Redress is a pioneering Hong Kong based NGO working to reduce textile waste in the fashion industry. We achieve this through a variety of dynamic programmes which work to minimise the negative impacts of fashion, whilst promoting innovative new models and driving growth towards a more sustainable industry via the circular economy. Working directly with a wide range of stakeholders, including designers, manufacturers, brands, educational bodies, government and consumers, we aim to create lasting environmental change in fashion.
Feeling peckish yet? Scroll down for the full intel and apply by March 14, 2019!
ABOUT THE REDRESS DESIGN AWARD
Each competition cycle takes participants on an educational journey lasting several theory and design-packed months. We work to educate designers about fashion’s negative environmental impacts, whilst inspiring them to use the core sustainable design techniques of zero-waste, up-cycling and reconstruction to cut waste out of fashion. Through our lectures, Academies, online LEARN platform and educational work in partnership with more than 100 universities around the world, Redress provides young designers with the theory and techniques to help them understand the new circular economy and capitalise on its global potential for the fashion industry.
Redress then challenges participants to flex their creative genius and prove that they have the ingenuity and conviction to transform textile waste into stunning, scalable and commercially viable collections that will inspire and redress the world.
After seven highly successful cycles, the competition in 2018 re-launched with a fresh new look and name change: Previously known as the EcoChic Design Award, the new Redress Design Award directly reflects the work of Redress itself and the overarching mission to reduce textile waste and ultimately fuel a circular system for fashion.
Our competition cycles to date:
2011: Inaugural cycle in launches in Hong Kong
2012: Second cycle in Hong Kong
2012: Inaugural cycle in Mainland China
2013: Inaugural international competition cycle open to Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, UK, France, Belgium and Germany
2014/15: Competition expands to include Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, UK, France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden
2015/16: Fifth anniversary cycle expands to all countries in Asia and Europe
2017: Cycle opens to designers all Asia, Europe and for the first time, the U.S.
2018: Competition opens to be truly global
Explore sustainable brands and designers from previous Redress Design Award (formerly EcoChic Design Award) competition cycles right here.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Each competition cycle takes participants on an educational journey lasting several theory and design-packed months. Redress challenges participants to flex their creative genius and prove that they have the ingenuity and conviction to transform textile waste into stunning, scalable and commercially viable collections that will inspire and redress the world. The top ten finalists will be selected to come to Hong Kong to take part in sustainable fashion educational activities and showcase their collections at HKTDC Hong Kong’s Fashion Week CENTRESTAGE.
You can apply if you meet all of the following criteria:
- Aged 18 years or over as of application closing date of 14 March 2019.
- Hold a valid ID/passport/visa/residence permit in your country of residence.
- Have less than three years’ professional fashion design experience* and/or are a fashion student in any year at an educational institution at the time of application.
- Are applying as an individual (group applications are not permitted).
*please visit the Redress FAQ page and the Terms and Conditions page for further details
WHAT IS THE COMPETITION DESIGN BRIEF
DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO RETHINK FASHION?
You are challenged to re-design fashion, by re-thinking how clothes are made and worn through a lens of design for circularity. You must design a womenswear, menswear or unisex sustainable collection for contemporary, fashion-loving individuals who value directional design (be it inspired by the runway or the street) and technical innovation as much as they respect people and the planet.
YOU ARE DESIGNING FOR
The JNBY Group customer who is confident and curious, with a modern, natural, and independent lifestyle curated from eclectic sources of art, culture, music, travel, food and design.
ALL DESIGNS MUST SHOW EVIDENCE OF
- Re-imagining fashion design by using the four circular design strategies of Design for Low Waste, Design for Low-impact Materials and Processes, Design for Longevity and Design for Recyclability in order to improve the garment’s lifecycle and enable circularity;
- Reclaiming textile ‘waste’ in unexpected ways;
- Re-inventing fashion by using one or more of the ‘Design for Low Waste’ design techniques of zero-waste, up-cycling and reconstruction;
- Reflecting opportunities for reproducibility, scalability and marketability.
TO WIN, YOU MUST
- Create three ready-to-wear outfit sketches (complete outfits not necessary at this stage) for your application for construction using textile waste. If you are successful in becoming one of the ten finalists, you must then make these three ready-to-wear sketches into complete outfits, together with an additional complete ready-to-wear outfit and one showpiece for the grand final fashion show. One or more of your final outfits will also need to include concept fabrics made from the Naia™ fibre (more details in the FAQ and more information will be provided once you have made it through to the final round).
- Impress the judges. For the open application and semi-final judging, your designs will be scored in three categories 1) Creativity and originality, 2) Sustainability and 3) Marketability – based on the creative design brief. For the grand final judging, an additional category of Workmanship will be added when the judges view your collection in person. During the grand final trip you will also be observed in order to assess your understanding and application of sustainable design strategies and processes during the various challenges.
THE ROLE OF THE CIRCULAR FASHION SYSTEM
Our judges will be looking for evidence of circular design thinking in designers collections. This means from sourcing your materials to pattern design, creation and consideration of user and disposal after use, you must have a clear understanding of the environmental impacts of your creations and will have explored solutions through the design of your collection. You should be reflective and critical of your work and be able to clearly explain your decision making at each step of creating your sustainable collection.
If you are a student, Redress encourages you to ask your educators to use the Redress Sustainable Fashion Educator Pack. This free pack includes classroom presentations and activities with detailed information on the garment life cycle, fibres and design methods which will provide additional learning on circular design thinking for you and your classmates.
To learn more about the circular fashion system, read on below and head to the Redress LEARN platform to supplement your learning. We particularly advise reading the LEARN guides: Fashion & Environment and Sourcing Textile Waste.
INCORPORATING CIRCULAR DESIGN STRATEGIES
At Redress, people believe in the power of designers – you can help unlock the value of waste! Circular design thinking, and circular design strategies are key to lessening the environmental impact of your designs. Redress has defined four core circular design strategies which you should refer to these during your concept development and collection creation.
The infographic and definitions below will help provide some guidance on these four core circular design strategies. However, there are many ways to approach them so it is up to you as a designer to define issues that are most important to you and reflect this in your designs.
Click here for further inspiration on the core four circular design strategies.
DESIGN TECHNIQUES AND TEXTILE SOURCING
Under the design strategy of ‘Design for Low Waste’, Redress highlights three sustainable design techniques: Zero-waste, up-cycling and reconstruction.
You must use one or more of these three sustainable design techniques throughout your collection and in addition you can combine the techniques within any of your garments.
You must source 100 per cent textile waste for use in your collection. If you reach the final, you will also be provided with concept fabrics made from the Eastman Naia™ fibre which you must incorporate into at least 50% of one or more of your collection pieces.
Please see the FAQ page about specific non-textile materials which require careful consideration or are excluded from submissions (example: plastics, leather, fur, etc), and to learn more about Naia™.
KEY DATES
OPEN APPLICATION
| 10 January 2019 | Launch of the online open application |
| 14 March 2019 | Application deadline (11:59pm local time) |
| 17 April 2019 | 30 semi-finalists announced on www.redressdesignaward.com |
SEMI-FINAL
| 15 May 2019 | Ten finalists announced on www.redressdesignaward.com |
| Mid May 2019 | People’s Choice winner announced |
FINAL
| 3 June 2019 | Deadline for finalists’ online submission of work-in-progress report |
| 18 July 2019 | Deadline for finalists to send their completed competition collection to Hong Kong |
| Late Aug/ Early September 2019* | Finalists arrive in Hong Kong and attend multiple activities |
| Early September 2019* | Grand final fashion show and winners announced |
| Early September 2019* | Finalists depart Hong Kong |
| October-December 2019 | Touring international exhibition |
| October 2019 onwards | Winners claim their prizes |
| January 2020* | Frontline Fashion 4 is launched |
* Exact dates TBC
Please note that all dates and deadlines are subject to change at Redress’ discretion.
You got what it takes? You ready to re-think fashion? You ready to get sustainably re-dressed? Then apply right here, right now and perhaps we’ll see you and your heavenly body of work in Hong Kong!
Featured Image: Redress Design Award Competition, 2019. All rights reserved
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