Upcycled fashion designers from Poland and Spain won top prizes at the Ecochic Design Award in Hong Kong

Patrycja Guzik from Poland  has been declared winner of the top prize at this week’s Ecochic Design Award 2015/16 which was part of the Environmental NGO Redress week-long programme of sustainable fashion activities in Hong Kong.

The week included a design challenge, two workshops and an industry seminar before culminating at the grand final fashion show of the world’s largest sustainable design competition for emerging designers, The EcoChic Design Award 2015/16. 

Ten finalists from Asia and Europe showcased their textile-waste-reducing collections on Hong Kong Fashion Week’s catwalk to an audience that represented some of the textile and fashion industry’s most forward thinking experts.

Christina Dean, Founder of Redress said, “We must face the pressing reality that the fashion and textile industry, as the world’s second biggest global polluter, can’t carry on as-is without crippling our planet. Change is not happening fast enough. In contrast to the majority of the industry, emerging fashion designers are demonstrating that they, as tomorrow’s leaders, are

more in tune with solutions and they are creatively cashing in on the environmental and economic opportunities within reducing and re-using textile waste. These designers are cementing a positive future for fashion”.

The winner, Patrycja Guzik from Poland said, "We need to change our thinking around clothes and more designers need to show consumers that we are able to make beautiful clothes using old clothes and damaged textiles."

She recalled being inspired by the saying 'Heaven as a place on earth' and she wanted to create clothes that were a shelter for heaven-like space. She combined the up-cycling and reconstruction design techniques by hand-weaving damaged textiles and unraveled second-hand garments, which she sourced from fabric wholesalers and second-hand shops in Cracow.  As part of her prize, Patrycja will now design an up-cycled capsule collection with fashion retailer Shanghai Tang.

“As the curators of modern China chic, it says a lot to the rest of the industry and our consumers that Shanghai Tang is translating Redress’ international search for emerging sustainable design talent into an up-cycled collection for our global customers. Our experience working with the last cycle’s winner inspired us about how business can do the right thing”, said Raphael le Manse de Charmont, Executive Chairman, Shanghai Tang.

In  addition, Patrycja also won  the Special Prize this year, judged solely by Hong Kong supermodel and socialist Janet Ma. 

She will design a sustainable outfit for Ms Ma to be unveiled at a high profile public event and in a fashion photoshoot to redress consumers’ attitudes towards sustainable fashion.

Second prize winner of the EcoChic Design Award 2015/16 went to Cora Maria Bellotto from Spain, who was awarded a tailored-made mentorship with London-based sustainable fashion designer, Orsola de Castro. 

Photos by Tim Wong, provided by Ecocbic and Redress.