US' VF Corporation & Redress name winner of 2021 Redress Design Award

Ten finalists from the US, UK, Germany, India, and Greater China participated in virtual events, which took place September 1-11, 2021. The event included educational challenges and master classes on advancing sustainability and circular design in the fashion industry through a variety of sustainable production solutions. With a broader focus on the reduction of waste, the emerging designers secured their place in the competition by impressing judges with entries that offered climate positive apparel through zero-waste patterns, prolonged garment lifecycles, end-of-life disassembly, upcycling, and minimal washing needs, VF Corporation said in a press release.

The winner will participate in a mentorship programme with VF’s Timberland brand and will ultimately design a sustainable apparel capsule collection that will launch in Spring 2023. The first prize winner of the Redress Design Award, Jessica Chang, impressed the judges with her collection which incorporated waste materials into designs to connect with and inspire consumers. The winning collection demonstrated creativity in sustainable design as well as strong marketability and commerciality.

Chang will begin working with the Timberland team immediately, along with VF Corporation’s sustainability and responsibility team to ensure that the materials and design strategies meet the company’s sustainability objectives. As the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, the Redress Design Award reflects VF Corporation’s continuous drive to innovate and foster the next generation of forward-thinking, environmentally-conscious designers in the apparel and footwear industry. The ten-day event culminated with the Grand Final fashion show with each designer showcasing a full collection, according to VF Corporation.

“The Redress Design Awards showcase what is possible when emerging designs are given an opportunity to innovate around sustainability. We believe cultivating creative, up-and-coming talent is both good for business and a necessity for the future of our planet. Sustainable fashion and circular design align with our purpose of bettering both people and the planet. Watching our global teams embrace this sustainability competition and mentor the next generation of designers is incredibly rewarding,” Sean Cady, VF’s vice president, global sustainability and responsibility, who served as one of the judges said in a statement.

“At Redress, we believe that educating designers is an urgent must if we are to achieve our mission of reducing fashion’s waste. That’s why VF is a perfect partner for the Redress Design Award. They represent real life, big business proof that training their own fashion professionals does lead to action and positive impact. Education takes time and a long-sighted approach and the global education gap is worryingly huge. It’s refreshing to work hand-in-hand with VF on transforming fashion from the design board up,” Christina Dean, the founder of Redress said.

“Winning this chance to work with Timberland is a life-changer for me. Entering this complex industry as an emerging designer is daunting because, so often, everywhere we look we see bad news and complexity. We know we can bring change. Yet it is hard to magnify our big ideas as start-up designers. The Redress Design Award has given me confidence - we are all in this together to make a positive change,” Chang said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)