Redress and VF Corporation unveil 2022 winner of its Design Award

The winner of sustainable fashion design competition Redress Design Award has been unveiled at its 2022 Grand Final Fashion Presentation in Hong Kong.

In an announcement made by Redress and VF Corporation, the NGO’s four year collaborator, Federico Badini Confalonieri was revealed to be the recipient of the award.

The designer will have the opportunity to work with VF’s Timberland team and collaborate on a “special sustainable design project that advances the brand’s vision for a greener future”, the two organisations said in a release.

Confalonieri was selected from over 450 entries throughout 47 countries and regions, with the competition coming down to nine finalists who each presented their circular fashion garments at the final presentation.

As part of the award, finalists participated virtually in the ‘Move to Natural’ challenge on September 2, during which they were tasked with designing a solution for 100 percent natural fibre product that aims to reuse textile waste from Icebreaker’s supply chain.

‘This prize is about more than winning a competition…’

For this edition, the competition was further extended to fashion and textile students from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who worked with the finalists to create their designs, expanding on Redress’ mission to highlight the importance of sustainable practices in education.

“The need for sustainable design education has never been more critical,” said Christina Dean, founder of Redress.

Dean continued: “Education is not easy to deliver, yet VF Corporation, and more recently The VF Foundation, has supported Redress in delivering education for several years, opening their hallowed design studios and experts’ calendars for extensive educational support. This speaks of the authentic heart that drives the business.”

Confalonieri’s collection, ‘Micro - Rain’, utilised zero-waste techniques to upcycle waste fabrics from his previous collections, with a particular focus on issues surrounding the use of microplastics and synthetic fabrics in fashion.

“This prize is about more than winning a competition,” said Confalonieri, adding that the award will give him the energy to continue building towards a sustainable fashion future.

The Italy-based designer added: “We sustainable designers may have competed, but the reality is that collaboration creates greater fashion. To partner with one of the world’s most iconic brands, Timberland, is a huge opportunity for me, and I look forward to creating a positive and powerful project together.”