Redress Design Award now has strategic partnership with Timberland and VF Corporation
For a third consecutive year VF Corp joins the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition to support emerging talent with career-changing opportunities
[1st March 2021, Hong Kong] Organised by environmental NGO Redress with Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the Lead Sponsor, the Redress Design Award propels its 11th cycle forward with the announcement of a partnership with VF Corp and its Timberland brand, known worldwide for its progressive authenticity and sustainable design, offering an exciting design collaboration to the First Prize winner.
The Timberland prize partnership forms part of a wider long-term strategic relationship between the Redress Design Award and VF. This is the third cycle of collaboration working to drive meaningful change among the future leaders of fashion through education, which forms the backbone of the programme, with over 50,000 individuals worldwide having benefitted from educational content and activities throughout the competition’s history. The partnership will also include a design challenge for all ten finalists later this year plus collaboration on key content around circular design in action for the Redress Design Award 2021 open access LEARN platform.
Redress Founder Christina Dean shares, “We are thrilled to welcome VF once again to the Redress Design Award as a key partner. Our shared vision with VF and Timberland – of ensuring that the fashion industry leaves a positive impact – is core to our partnership. The industry needs knowledgeable professionals entering the market and our work to educate the future generation of designers and business owners is vital. VF is one of a few organisations truly demonstrating a progressive approach to sustainability, and the opportunity for the competition winner to gain real-life industry experience through the prize with Timberland is a true career-changing opportunity.”
Dean’s sentiments are underpinned by Timberland’s recent announcement of the ambitious goal for its products to create a “net positive impact on the environment by 2030.”
Driving circularity in fashion through education
Redress recently released their ‘Education Impact Report’ reflecting on the critical work that the Redress Design Award has delivered across the last 10 cycles to equip the next generation of fashion professionals with the knowledge and tools to transform their industry. Designers in more than 55 countries and regions have benefitted from the Award’s educational offerings, from self-led learning via open-access resources, to tailored workshops, academies and immersive industry experiences.
Read the full report here
2021 – Career-changing prizes
The first prize winner of the Redress Design Award 2021 will join VF Corporation’s Timberland team to collaborate on a design project, and will have the opportunity to work closely with VF’s Sustainability & Responsibility team to gain exciting insights from across the supply chain from sourcing to product development, while deepening their skills and understanding around sustainable production and marketing.
In addition to this career-boosting prize, the first prize winner will be awarded HK$50,000 (US$6,400) as development funding. The Runner-up and Hong Kong Best winners of this cycle will also each receive HK$15,000 (US$1,900) as development funding – a first in the Redress Design Award’s history – among other notable prizes.
The online application for the Redress Design Award 2021 is open until 15 March 2021 for emerging designers around the world with less than four years’ professional experience. Thirty semi-finalists will be announced on 22 April and then the ten finalists on 13 May. The finalists will show their collections in Hong Kong in early September 2021 at the livestreamed Grand Final Show, and winners will be announced.
Editor’s Notes
- Read the Redress Design Award Education Impact Report here.
- The Redress Design Award 2021 Prizes are:
- First Prize: The Redress Design Award 2021 with VF Corporation’s Timberland. Win the opportunity to collaborate on a design project, learn design strategies to maximise sustainability, and receive HK$50,000 as development funding
- Runner-Up Prize: The Redress Design Award Mentorship with Orsola de Castro and receive HK$15,000 ($1,900) as development funding and other notable prizes
- Hong Kong Best Prize: The top Hong Kong applicant will win a guaranteed place in the Grand Final and receive HK$15,000 (US$1,900) as development funding and other notable prizes
- More details can be found at www.redressdesignaward.com/prizes
- Emerging designers can apply to the Redress Design Award 2021 before 15 March 2021 at: www.redressdesignaward.com/2021/apply
- The 2021 Judges are Orsola de Castro (Fashion Designer, Co-founder of Estethica & Co-founder of Fashion Revolution), Desiree Au (Founding Publisher of Vogue Hong Kong), Angus Tsui (Creative Director, ANGUS TSUI and Alumnus, Redress Design Award), Kriti Tula (Co-Founder and Creative Director, Doodlage), Queennie Yang (BoF China Editorial Director, The Business of Fashion), and Olga Johnston Antonova (Founder, Redshift in Fashion, Educator, Journalist)
- Visit the Redress Design Award LEARN platform for resources on circular design strategies and how to source and market sustainable fashion. All content is available in English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and selected materials in French and Russian.
- Find out about our Sustainable Fashion Educator Pack at www.redressdesignaward.com/educatorpack
- Redress Design Award 2021’s sponsors include: Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Lead Sponsor), VF Corporation, UPS, TAL Group and Avery Dennison. Other partners: www.redressdesignaward.com/partners
About Redress
Redress is a pioneering environmental charity working to prevent and transform textile waste in the fashion industry. Its dynamic programmes work to minimise the negative impacts of fashion, whilst promoting innovative new models and driving growth towards a more sustainable industry via the circular economy. Working directly with a wide range of stakeholders, including designers, manufacturers, brands, educational bodies, government and consumers, Redress aims to create lasting environmental change in fashion.
The Redress Design Award is the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition working to educate emerging fashion designers around the world about sustainable design theories and techniques in order to drive the shift towards a circular fashion system. By putting sustainable design talent in the global spotlight, the competition creates a unique platform for passionate and talented fashion game-changers to transform the global fashion industry and rewards the best with career-changing prizes to maximise long-term impact. Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the Lead Sponsor of the Redress Design Award. www.redressdesignaward.com
About Create Hong Kong
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated agency set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in June 2009. It is under the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and dedicated to spearheading the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK has sponsored the Redress Design Award (formerly the EcoChic Design Award) since 2011 to promote Hong Kong’s fashion design.
Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the projects only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.
About VF Corporation
Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies connecting people to the lifestyles, activities and experiences they cherish most through a family of iconic outdoor, active and workwear brands including Vans®, The North Face®, Timberland® and Dickies®. Our purpose is to power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. We connect this purpose with a relentless drive to succeed to create value for all stakeholders and use our company as a force for good. For more information, please visit vfc.com.
About Timberland
Timberland is a global outdoor lifestyle brand based in Stratham, New Hampshire, with international headquarters in Switzerland and Hong Kong. Best known for its original yellow boot introduced in 1973 to take on the harsh elements of New England, Timberland today offers a full range of footwear, apparel and accessories for people who value purposeful style and share the brand’s passion for enjoying – and protecting – Nature.
At the heart of the Timberland® brand is the core belief that a greener future is a better future. This comes to life through a decades-long commitment to make products responsibly, protect the outdoors, and strengthen communities around the world. The brand has committed to plant 50 million trees worldwide by 2025, and has a bold vision for its products to have a net positive impact on Nature by 2030, giving back more than they take. To share in Timberland’s mission to step outside, work together and make it better, visit a Timberland® store, timberland.com or follow @timberland. Timberland is a VF Corporation brand.
