Redress Design Award 2022 seeks global entries

World’s largest sustainable fashion design competition offers HK$80,000 (US$10,000) in funding as VF’s Timberland® unveils debut collection designed with Redress Design Award 2020 winner

It’s a banner month for leading Hong Kong-based environmental NGO Redress as it unveils plans for its Redress Design Award 2022, the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, with Lead Sponsor Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. This is the 12th cycle of the Redress Design Award which invites aspiring designers globally to vie for HK$80,000 (US$10,000) in development funding and an exciting design collaboration with VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, and its Timberland® brand. Simultaneously, Timberland® is debuting the awaited sustainable Lunar New Year collection designed in collaboration with Vietnamese designer Le Ngoc Ha Thu who secured the opportunity as the winner of the Redress Design Award 2020 Menswear category.

The Redress Design Award 2022’s online applications will open on 6 January 2022 for designers across the globe, with the deadline on 16 March for submissions. This year’s winner will have the opportunity to team up with Timberland®to be mentored and collaborate on a special design project. The winning designer will also receive HK$80,000 (US$10,000) as development fund and additional prizes. Runners-up will receive development funds and other prizes. "This is a standout opportunity for The Redress Design Award 2022 winning designer to collaborate with Timberland, one of the world's industry leaders in sustainability, to make positive change," says Redress Founder Christina Dean. “The fashion world is screaming out for innovation to help it transform from polluter to pioneer, and the next generation of designers can help to drive this."

Speaking at the Media Launch of the Redress Design Award 2022 held on 5 January 2022, Jersey Yuen, Assistant Head of CreateHK, welcomed the return of the Redress Design Award and encouraged designers to join the competition.

A key component of this year’s Redress Design Award will be educating emerging designers about the concept of embedding circularity into fashion and design. According to an EU 2018 Science Hub Report, over 80 percent of a product’s environmental impact is locked in at the design stage. With that important figure in mind, this year’s judges will be looking for designs that can best showcase low-waste, low-impact materials and processes; longevity; and recyclability.

In order to further educate designers and potential Redress Design Award applicants alike on these key principles, Redress has refreshed and expanded its Redress Academy platform (previously called LEARN), to offer free in-depth resources for designers who seek to learn more about sustainable and circular fashion. The Redress Academy includes guides, videos and case studies on topics from sourcing to design, production and marketing, all with circularity at the forefront. A vital component is the Pathway Course, a free online programme rich in practical tips and featuring leading industry experts, with the opportunity for the participants to receive a certificate upon finishing the programme. Those who apply to take part in this year’s Redress Design Award will be entitled to participate in the course through 16 March 2022. “We designed this course with the understanding that fashion can be ever-changing, with sustainability at its core,” says Morgane Parizot, Redress Education Director. “Those who take the course will deepen their knowledge of circular fashion design strategies and techniques, giving them an edge on both the competition and the fast-changing fashion industry.”

Simultaneously this week, Timberland® has released their Lunar New Year collection; a collaboration with Ngoc Ha Thu Le, the Redress Design Award 2020 Menswear winner. The collection will be available for sale in stores globally. “It’s exciting working with a design talent like Thu, whose approach to sustainability marries progressive design with innovative techniques,” says Marco Pavoncelli, Senior Director, Timberland® APAC. “This is also a primary reason why we’re teaming up with Redress as Prize Partner of the Redress Design Award for a third consecutive year to attract top up-and-coming designers from all corners of the globe who are driving sustainability through circularity in fashion.”

Thu’s pinnacle piece is a 3-in-1 parka and accompanying backpack, which offers endless combinations for diverse activities and living conditions. “The insights and experience I gained from Timberland are invaluable and have given me a more realistic view of sustainability in the industry,” says Thu. With last year’s Redress Design Award attracting entries from a record 58 countries, Thu also hopes that her debut collection serves as inspiration to others. “The Redress Design Award journey has been deeply rewarding and invaluable in kickstarting my design career.”