20 emerging designers across Asia and Europe are shortlisted for The EcoChic Design Award 2013
Today, three Singapore based emerging fashion designers, Adeline Huang Tian Ying, Ng Swee Yee and Thi Nguyen, joined 17 other talented hopefuls from Asia and Europe to be named as semi-finalists in the battle to win The EcoChic Design Award 2013 and to change the pattern of fashion.
This sustainable fashion design competition, organised by Hong Kong NGO Redress, challenges emerging designers to cut waste out of fashion. It will provide the subsequent eight finalists with the chance to present their sustainable collections at Hong Kong Fashion Week in January 2014, where the main winner, who will design a recycled collection for Esprit, will be announced.
Applicants living in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, UK, France, Belgium and Germany submitted their low-textile waste designs to a panel of influential judges who marked them on sustainability, marketability and originality. Singapore’s local judging panel consists of Sharon Lim, Editor-in-Chief of ELLE Singapore, Mary-Jane Hayes, Vice President, Head of Visual Management, Esprit Asia Pacific and Yumiko Uno, Co-founder and Fashion Designer of Singaporean sustainable brand, Etrican.
‘Overall I found the calibre of Singapore’s applicants very high, with each entrant demonstrating individuality alongside a clear understanding of the design brief. The highest scoring applicants have shown entries that are well thought out with strong design and style integrity, which are contemporary, wearable and appealing to the competition’s target audience,’ said Mary-Jane Hayes, Vice President, Head of Visual Management, Esprit Asia Pacific.
Singapore’s semi-finalists focused on up-cycling and reconstruction, two of the competition’s three sustainable design techniques, to create designs that combat textile waste in the fashion industry.
‘Applicants showed encouraging understanding of the sustainable design techniques. This is the first time this competition is being held in Singapore and I am excited about the future of this award,’ said Yumiko Uno, Co-founder and Fashion Designer, Etrican.
The semi-finalists will now be judged by an international panel of highly influential judges and Redress will announce the eight finalists on 16 September 2013. The finalists will present their sustainable collections at Hong Kong Fashion Week in January 2014 and compete for the winning position.
Fostering a new generation of sustainable fashion designers
All semi-finalists will receive a career-boosting sustainable fashion educational package, in line with Redress’ aim to support emerging designers’ transition to become sustainable fashion professionals through The EcoChic Design Award. Packages en-route to the semi-finalists include a selection of sustainable fashion books from Laurence King, Thames & Hudson and Bloomsbury, exclusive membership benefits from sustainable sourcing site, Source4Style and promotional opportunities on Redress’ platforms.
Bringing designs home
From February to March 2014, Redress will present a touring exhibition featuring the finalists’ minimal waste designs. The exhibition will travel to Singapore, and other cities across the competition’s regions, to bring the finalists’ work home and to engage the public with sustainable fashion.
Additional information on prizes, which includes an educational trip to John Hardy’s sustainable production facilities and the chance to design a sustainable dress for artist Sandy Lam, and sponsors, including major sponsor Create Hong Kong, can be found at www.ecochicdesignaward.com.
Design sketches and mood boards of Singapore’s semi-finalists, along with those from the other regions, can be found here: http://www.ecochicdesignaward.com/semi-finalists/
Media Inquiries
Trazi Chui
Email: trazi@redress.com.hk
HK Tel: +852 2861 0360
About Redress
Redress is an NGO with a mission to promote environmental sustainability in the fashion industry by reducing textile waste, pollution, water and energy consumption. They achieve this via educational sustainable fashion competitions, shows, exhibitions, seminars, research and by a recycled textile clothing standard. They collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders, including multiple fashion designers, textile and garment manufacturers, brands, schools and universities, multilateral organisations, governments, NGOs, financial institutions and media organisations. Visit: www.redress.com.hk
About The EcoChic Design Award
The EcoChic Design Award is a sustainable fashion design competition inspiring emerging fashion designers to create mainstream clothing with minimal waste. Designers are educated with the theory and techniques to enable them to create sustainable clothing via zero-waste, up-cycling and reconstruction. The competition puts emerging sustainable design talent in the spotlight, creating a platform for the next generation of designers to cut waste out of fashion. The inaugural The EcoChic Design Award was launched in Hong Kong in 2011 and previous cycles also include Hong Kong 2012 and China 2012. Visit: www.ecochicdesignaward.com
About EcoChic Design Award 2013 major sponsor, Create Hong Kong
The Create Hong Kong is a dedicated agency set up under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau on 1 June 2001 to lead, champion and drive the development of the creative economy in Hong Kong. It co-ordinates Government policy and effort regarding creative industries, focuses Government’s resources catering for the promotion and speeding up the development of creative industries in Hong Kong, and works closely with the trade to boost the development of creative industries. Visit: www.createhk.gov.hk
About EcoChic Design Award 2013 Platinum and Prize Sponsor, Esprit
Esprit – a homage to the relaxed, sunny Californian attitude towards life. And the free spirit of 1968, the year it was founded. For women, men and kids, Esprit creates inspiring styles made from high-quality materials with great attention to detail. Each piece shows just how much effort Esprit puts into its creations.
Making the Esprit spirit tangible as part of a transformation program launched in September 2011, the international fashion brand will invest a total of over 280 million euros into redesigning its own and operated retail stores. This program will run until 2015 and is designed to sustainably strengthen the brand.
Esprit’s collections are worldwide available in more than 40 countries, in more than 1,000 owned and operated retail stores, as well as in more than 10,000 wholesale POS. This includes franchise partners and sales space in department stores. The company is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, has over 12,000 employees and achieved a turnover of 3.2 billion euros in 2011/12. Visit: www.esprit.com
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