Environmental NGO Redress has opened the Redress Design Award 2020, the 10th cycle of its sustainable fashion design competition.

The competition launches alongside a new Circular Fashion Design Pathway Course, with lead sponsorship from Create Hong Kong. For the first time, the competition offers two prize categories – menswear and womenswear – with career-changing winners’ prizes provided by The R Collective and VF Corporation. 

The milestones come as Redress continues to act against waste in the industry by educating fashion designers globally about waste-reducing and circular design techniques. 

“We don’t have a moment to lose,” said Redress founder and board chair Christina Dean. “The fashion industry is screaming for change. Shockingly, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or incinerated every second – and this is set to worsen. Globally, we must galvanise designers to act urgently to redesign the future of fashion.”

Dean’s sentiments were echoed by experts during a panel discussion on sustainable fashion that took place at the Redress Design Award 2020 press launch, addressed by speakers from various sectors of the fashion industry.

Redress’ new Circular Fashion Design Pathway Course provides a deeper knowledge for competition applicants, who typically have suboptimal access to sustainable design education.