The Ecochic Design Award: Hong Kong’s International Eco Fashion Competition
Hong Kong NGO Redress’ Ecochic Design Award 2014 competition scouts for the best Asian and European eco fashion emerging designers. Here are the 10 nominees.
The Ecochic Design Award is the first international sustainable fashion design competition bringing together Asian and European fashion designers who share the vision of a low-impact environmental fashion industry.
For the next four months the ten finalists will bring their competition sketches to life and reveal their up-cycled competition collections at The Ecochic Design Award 2014/15 Grand Final, in late January 2015 during the HKTDC Hong Kong Fashion Week.
Hong Kong based NGO Redress organizes the competition with strong support from the HK government agency Create Hong Kong.
The lucky winner will design their own capsule collection and be the first to work with Shanghai Tang, China’s leading luxury brand.
The special prize winner will visit John Hardy’s workshop in Bali, Indonesia, and experience first-hand the sustainable luxury brand design, workshop and business philosophies.
The prestigious panel of judges are Orsola de Castro (Co-Founder of From Somewhere and Curator of Estethica), Dorian Ho (Fashion Designer), Anderson Lee (Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium Vice Chairman), Joseph Li (Shanghai Tang Womenswear Chief Designer) and Yvonne Luk (WGSN China Chief Editor).
Here are the ten Ecochic Design Award 2014 nominees:
Amanda Anderson, Sweden
"I think the only way for the fashion industry to survive is through sustainable fashion. As a designer, I have the responsibility to come up with new ideas for the fashion industry; nor just what it looks like but how it works. I want to be a sustainable fashion designer because not being one, or not even trying to be one, means to me that you don't value your given power as a designer."
Aya, Xianting Qi, Mainland China
"I have always loved reconstructing unwanted clothes and this was the reason that I entered fashion school. But since discovering fashion's negative impact on the environment, I've developed a much greater desire to learn and practice sustainable fashion. My dream is to become a sustainable fashion designer."
Cher, Carman Chan, Hong Kong
"I was deeply captivated when I first learnt about the environmental impacts of the industry. It has inspired me to find creative solutions and unconventional sources of fabrics for my designs. I´m excited to show the world my sustainable designs."
Kevin Germanier, UK
"For me, sustainable fashion is one way of expressing myself. It feels amazing to be able to create clothes and at the same time to protect the planet. As a young and passionate designer, it is very important for me to feel useful. Sustainable fashion challenges me and since I love solving problems, it matches my personality perfectly. I think sustainable fashion is only at the beginning of its real potential and I want to be a sustainable fashion designer in order to experiment, discover and share its unique aspects with others around the world."
Kistirne Marie Hansen, Denmark
"Fashion is both a fun and necessary industry that brings joy and personality to a lot of people. However, the production of fashion has exploded rapidly and many people are not aware of the effects that our everyday life and fashion consumption has on millions of people, animals and on the environment. I want to be a sustainable fashion designer to inspire people to live a more conscious life without compromise. For me, this means using our resources in the best way possible and not compromising future generation's ability to meet their needs."
Laurensia Salim, Singapore
"The fashion industry is a very wasteful industry that has a huge negative impact on the environment. To me, sustainable fashion means a better way of enjoying style that is harmless to the environment. I want to be a sustainable fashion designer because I simply want to make garments that don't harm anyone or anything."
Noëlla Tapasu Koy, France
"I'm African and raised with two cultures, and so it's important for me to give back to my country what it gave to me. I want to do my best to help sustainable development including sustainable fashion. Why? Because sustainable fashion creates jobs, conserves natural resources and thereby creates a closer relationship between politicians and citizens.An old French proverb says « everything is good in the pig » which means when you kill a pig everything can be used and there is no waste. It's the same for fashion. There is no waste, just fabrics awaiting a second wind to become an exceptional piece. Modern fashion needs this type of sustainable idea."
Veronica, Hsiao Huei Lee, Malaysia
“Thinking about the negative impacts that the fashion industry has and the positive power that we designers have in reducing pollution makes me want to be a sustainable designer. At first, sustainable fashion was challenging for me, but I’m now really enjoying it after learning how great sustainable design techniques and fabrics can be.”
Victor, Shing Hong Chu, Hong Kong
"Being a student with a huge passion for fashion, I have had the opportunity to understand the process of manufacturing clothes and I have witnessed the amount of materials being discarded. Seeing first hand how fashion is damaging our environment, I started to reflect on my role as a designer. I think we should not solely be familiar with the design techniques and usage of fabrics, but also understand that both have a huge impact on the environment. I want to be a sustainable fashion designer to reduce the damage of the fashion industry. It is my responsibility as a designer."
Yvonne, Tien Chun Tsai, Taiwan
"Sustainable fashion can save a lot of natural resources, although at times it can be limited by some constraints. I think the artist, Phil Hansen said it perfectly 'Embracing the limitation could actually drive creativity'. I love nature, and I want to give back and for this reason I want to continue my passion and learn more about sustainable fashion. "
