Bloomsbury Publishing and imprint Fairchild Books are proud to have sponsored prizes for the EcoChic Design Award 2014-15, run by Fashion NGO Redress. We’ve watched 30 semi-finalists become 10 finalists, and now there’s one winner! Read on to view their collections and hear about the award in their own words.
In January 2015, Fashion NGO Redress hosted a week of high profile sustainable fashion activities in Hong Kong to promote sustainable fashion solutions for the global fashion industry. The week culminated in the Grand Final of The EcoChic Design Award 2014-15, a sustainable fashion design competition for emerging designers from Europe and Asia. The 10 finalists showcased their collections on the catwalk, battling it out for the chance to design the first up-cycled collection for China’s leading luxury brand, Shanghai Tang, for global retail.
Video: About the EcoChic Design Award »
Video: Behind the scenes at the finalists’ fashion shoot »
Video: Watch the show! »
The finalists were (and their above left to right):
Hong Kong – Cher, Carman Chan
Mainland China – Aya, Xiating Qi
Taiwan – Yvonne, Tien Chun Tsai
Singapore – Laurensia Salim
Malaysia – Veronica, Hsiao Huei Lee
UK – Kevin Germanier
France – Noella Tapasu Koy
Sweden – Amandah Andersson
Denmark – Kirstine Marie Hansen
Hong Kong – Victor, Shing Hong Chu
The Winner of the 2014-15 EcoChic Design Award was Kevin Germanier from the UK!
2nd Prize went to Victor Chu from Hong Kong, who will now design textile waste-reducing uniforms for Hong Kong’s legendary five star hotel, The Langham, and Hong Kong’s T’ang Court restaurant.
The Special Prize went to Laurensia Salim from Singapore, who will enjoy an educational trip to John Hardy’s design and production workshop in Bali, Indonesia to learn from their sustainability leadership.
In the words of the finalists…
WINNER Kévin Germanier, UK
Your style: sculptural, precise, subtly sensitive and a bit of couture
Your inspiration: finding beauty in the dirt
Your ultimate goal: to be happy.
Favourite stage of the competition: the grand final – when you see your clothes on the catwalk, on the models, it’s quite overwhelming.
Moment to remember: all of us celebrating together after the Grand Final fashion show.
2nd Prize Victor Chu, Hong Kong
Your inspiration: Artificial intelligence – how it encroaches upon our lives and how we should not depend on technology too much
Your style: Showing mixing and matching, and sexiness, through minimalist neutral designs
Your inspiration: The collision of Eastern and Western cultures of clothing
Biggest surprise: When everyone surprised me with a birthday cake!
Moment to remember: Standing on the catwalk and feeling very moved as a designer.
Special Prize Laurensia Salim, Singapore
Your ultimate goal: Do something positive that can have a positive impact on others.
Favourite stage of the competition: All stages were really inspiring. Every stage provided a great learning experience for me. This competition made me see things in another light as a consumer and designer in fashion industry.
Nöella Tapsu Koy, France
Your style: Afropolitan – a perfect colorful mix of Africa and France.
Your inspiration: Everything! But I think I’m inspired by people – their feelings, their lives…with my creativity, I try to give them some hope and joy.
Favourite stage of the competition: meeting all finalists during the first dinner in Hong Kong. It was so funny because on this day I wore a colourful outfit (I’m black) and others (white and Asian people) wore all black looks. We had a really good laugh.
Cher Chan, Hong Kong
Favourite stage: Hanging out with the finalists backstage during the show. After the show, we had a huge group hug – celebrating all of our efforts and success!
Amandah Andersson, Sweden
Your inspiration: Excentrism & psychology.
Your ultimate goal: Time.
Favourite stage of the competition: Coming to Hong Kong.
Greatest challenge: To work with sustainability without compromise.
Biggest surprise: That Ford vehicles contain many sustainable and recycled materials & fabrics.
Moment to remember: The karaoke night to celebrate after the grand final…
Yvonne Tsai, Taiwan
My inspiration: The arabesques on a ceiling, the patterns that vines form on a brick wall, the silhouette of melting syrup on a spinning spoon.
Kirstine Marie Hansen, Denmark
Your style: feminine and functional with a touch of rock’n’roll attitude
Your inspiration: women through history
Veronica Lee, Malaysia
Your inspiration: Personal memories or experiences, emotions.
Greatest challenge: To finish a garment in three hours at the Ford Design Challenge.