VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, continued its three-year partnership with environmental charity Redress, announcing the 2021 winner of the Redress Design Award.
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.
Notably, the winning collection demonstrated creativity in sustainable design as well as strong marketability and commerciality.
Jessica will now receive an opportunity to design a sustainable capsule collection with Timberland® available for sale in 2023.
One of the most prestigious sustainable fashion design competitions, the Redress Design Award reflects VF’s drive to foster the next generation of forward-thinking, environmentally-conscious designers in the apparel and footwear industry.
Sean Cady, VF’s Vice President, Global Sustainability and Responsibility, who served as one of the judges, said, “The Redress Design Awards showcase what is possible when emerging designs are given an opportunity to innovate around sustainability.”
Sean added “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.”
The virtual events took place from 1 to 11 September and 10 finalists from the US, UK, Germany, India and Greater China participated in the same.
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.
“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,” said Christina Dean, Founder, Redress.
