The winner of the Redress Design Award for sustainable fashion was announced at the 2022 grand final fashion presentation in Hong Kong.
Redress and US fashion group VF Corporation have named Federico Badini Confalonieri, who has worked with the NGO for four years, as the winner, according to a joint statement on Thursday. The designer will have the opportunity to work with VF’s Timberland team to develop a “special sustainable design project that furthers the brand’s vision for a greener future”.
Confalonieri was selected from more than 450 entries from 47 countries and regions, with the competition narrowed down to nine finalists, each presenting their recyclable garments at the final presentation.
As part of the award, on September 2nd, the finalists took part virtually in the “Move to Natural” challenge, in which they were asked to design a solution for a 100 percent natural fiber product based on the reuse of textile waste from the supply chain of the VF Daughter Icebreaker aims.
This award is about more than winning a competition…
This edition expanded the competition to include fashion and textiles students from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who collaborated with the finalists to create their designs, expanding Redress’ mission to highlight the importance of sustainable practices in education.
“The need for sustainable design education has never been more important,” said Christina Dean, Founder of Redress. “Education is not easy to deliver, but VF Corporation and, more recently, the VF Foundation have supported Redress in delivering it for several years of education and make their design studios and expert calendars available for extensive educational activities, which speaks to the authentic heart that drives this company.”
Confalonieri’s Micro – Rain collection used zero-waste techniques to recycle fabric waste from its previous collections, with a focus on issues surrounding the use of microplastics and synthetic fabrics in fashion.
“This award is about more than just winning a competition,” said Confalonieri, adding that the award will give him the energy to continue working towards a sustainable fashion future. “We sustainable designers may have competed with each other , but the reality is that collaboration creates better fashion. Partnering with one of the world’s most recognized brands, Timberland, is a great opportunity for me and I look forward to creating a positive and powerful project together.”
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk.