Sustainable Fashion Design: Meet the Potential Industry Game Changers This 2022

Aside from daily commutes and food waste, wardrobe or fast fashion has become one of the factors that fueled the increasing human carbon footprint. 

In 2017, YouGov Omnibus research found that textile waste in Hong Kong came from 86% of adults who dispose of clothing after one wear, while three out of 10 or 29% of them have thrown away more than 10 pieces of clothing from the previous year.

To help educate fashion designers about the harmful impact of throwaway culture, Redress, a non-government organisation (NGO) based in Hong Kong, hosts the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, The Redress Design Award.

Apart from providing a platform for emerging young designers, Redress introduces a programme that talks about core sustainable design theories and methodologies in building an eco-friendlier fashion system. In collaboration with more than 150 colleges around the world, the NGO also offers an online Redress Academy, university presentations, and sustainable fashion workshops.

Each participant is expected to become the newest “fashion game changers to transform the global fashion industry” who will receive long-term prizes and glamorous opportunities leading to career-changing impact.

This 2022, there are 10 Redress Design Award finalists who will compete in the Grand Final Fashion Presentation in Hong Kong, exhibiting their stunning designs made from textile waste. Let’s get to know each of them:

Ashutosh Panda

Hailing from India, Ashutosh Panda presents his “Pillars of Creation” featuring stars from the universe. His upcycling techniques are used to create handwoven goods mostly for womenswear.

Cris Miranda

Awarded as the People’s Choice winner, Cris Miranda from Chile showcases Japanese culture in his “「RE」COLLECT” unisex collection. Brimming with aesthetics, his creations include miyabi, mono-no-aware, and wabi-sabi. His strengths when it comes to design techniques are zero-waste, reconstruction, and upcycling.

Drina Marco

Drina Marco from Spain places emphasis on longevity recyclability in her “monda” collection (a Spanish word which means fruit peel or skin). Her designs aim to fit everyone regardless of size as the garment used is comfortable cotton from industrial hotel laundries and designed using vegetable waste.

Federico Badini Confalonieri

Federico Badini Confalonieri from Italy has been into sustainable fashion since last year because he was also a semi-finalist of the Redress Design Award 2021.

His sustainable fashion collection “Micro - Rain” focuses on microplastics, which is also a major problem in the design industry. As part of his zero-waste techniques, he incorporates filter fabric into these synthetic garments to lessen pollution when washing them.

Lívia Aguiar de Castro

This finalist from Brazil focuses on ripped jeans turned into unique pieces. She uses manual weaving methods to create her designs using belts, buttons, and back pockets.

Micaela Clubourg

Featuring her collection called “Back to the Roots,” this finalist from Spain utilises organic food waste for dying Latin American handmade knits. She infuses her ecological fashion creations with coffee, tea, and onion peel (as well as recycled plastic buttons and trims) to add an extra oomph in a sustainable approach.

Mohammed Numaan Khan

A combination of feminine Indian elements and modern ready-to-wear silhouettes, this finalist from India uses decade-old fabrics for his sustainable collection called “Namaste Sustainability.” The materials he used are natural fibres sourced from his family’s sarees, ceremonial cotton shawls, and other secondhand items.

Nawoda Bandara

Just like her fellow participant Federico, Nawoda Bandara of Sri Lanka became a finalist of the Redress Design Award 2021. Her collection “Realite” was inspired from LGBT warriors showcasing “vintage military silhouette details.” She creates unisex and multifunctional outfits from repurposed materials and deadstock knitted collars using natural dyeing techniques.

Patrick Lam

Patrick Lam, a Hong Kong-based finalist for Redress Design Award 2022, is fascinated in the sustainable designing of different military jackets and suits. To assure the clothing's durability, his British-inspired collection "Mod" features oversized tailoring and reshaping discarded samples of military garments made from nylon.

Ruwanthi Gajadeera

Don’t be surprised when you see backpacks converted into jackets. Thanks to Ruwanthi Gajadeera, a Redress Design Award 2022 finalist from Sri Lanka.

Her “Take Me Home” collection aims to combine sustainable fashion on “great outdoors and urban space.” The materials she commonly uses are Lyocell thread, recycled polyester, nylon threads, and biodegradable fasteners and buttons.