NGO Redress announced on September 2 the 30 emerging fashion designers that have made it though to the semi-final of The EcoChic Design Award 2015/16.
Applicants of the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition were challenged to apply a combination of one or more of the three sustainable design techniques of zero-waste, up-cycling and reconstruction to create their minimal waste designs.
A full list of the thirty semi-finalists from across Asia and Europe with some of the design illustrations can be found here: http://www.ecochicdesignaward.com/semi-finalist-201516/.
These future stars will now go through evaluation by the international judging panel which includes fashion writer Susie Bubble and ELLE China Fashion Editor Stephanie Zhuge.
From the 30 semi-finalists, ten finalists (five from Asia and five from Europe) will be selected and will attend The EcoChic Design Award 2015/16 Grand Final to present their sustainable collections at HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week in January 2016.
They will be competing to win career-boosting prizes supported by Shanghai Tang, the distinguished fashion designer Orsola de Castro and Hong Kong supermodel, Janet Ma. Prizes have also been supplied by publisher Bloomsbury Books and the Ethical Fashion Forum.
The Asian regional judging panel consisted of:
- Malini Banerji, Fashion Director, ELLE India
- Armele Barbier, Head of Design, Menswear, Shanghai Tang
- Johanna Ho, Fashion Designer
- Nadya Hutagalung, Producer, Host and Conservation Advocate
- Vega WANG, Fashion Designer
“It is good to see the fashion industry opening up to more ethical approaches with focus on up-cycling, sustainable options and zero wastage. The EcoChic Design Award is an initiative which looks beyond just creating a product, addressing an ongoing challenge, with a commitment to an eco-friendly fashion industry. This does not mean sacrificing super-cool style, but instead looking at innovative alternatives.” - Malini Banerji
“I am glad to be an ongoing part of The EcoChic Design Award by being two judge for two cycles now for this great project. I felt an improvement this cycle with designs getting mature and show a commitment to the real meaning of eco-design. This shows a bright future for fashion industry.” - Vega Wang
The European regional judging panel consisted of:
- Johan Arnø Kryger, Head of Responsible Innovation, Danish Fashion Institute
- Reet Aus, Designer and Researcher
- Armele Barbier, Head of Design, Menswear, Shanghai Tang
- Alex Macdonald, Senior Editor, Creative Direction, WGSN
- Sakina M’Sa, Fashion Designer
“As consumers we will never buy fashion simply to save the world. We want to look and feel good as well – that’s why fashion exists. So we are in an urgent need for sustainable fashion designers who understand this need for balance; this is why I was very happy when I saw this year’s applications.” - Johan Arnø Kryger
“Judging was challenging as there were very many different ideas presented but I focused on innovative design along with technical skills and wearability of the garments. It was just as important for me that the applicants understood the complexity of sustainability through their designs.” - Reet Aus
If you are interested in writing about the semi-finalists, would like any interviews, or to receive updates of the Awards, please get in touch: megan@redress.com.hk. We will be back in touch on the 15 Sept to announce the ten The EcoChic Design Award 2015/16 finalists.
You can download images for use here.
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