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The winner will partner with Timberland® in a particular design project
Hong Kong, September 8, 2022 – VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, and Hong Kong-based environmental NGO Redress, working to reduce waste and advance circular design in the fashion industry, have announced the 2022 winner of the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, the Redress Design Award. In their fourth year of collaboration, the partnership between VF, the VF Foundation and Redress reflects a shared mission to innovate and foster the next generation of forward-thinking and environmentally conscious designers in the apparel and footwear industry. The winner, Federico Badini Confalonieri, will win the opportunity to work with VF Timberland® team and collaborate on a special sustainable design project that advances the brand’s vision for a greener future.
“Creating sustainable circular designs is central to VF’s mission to improve both people and the planet. Therefore, we want to equip the next generation of talented designers with the tools and experience needed to further develop innovative circular solutions,” said Sean Cady, VF Vice President, Sustainability and Global Responsibility, who served as a judge for for the second year in a row. “The Redress Design Award provides an amazing opportunity for emerging talent to work with our global teams and grow as a sustainable designer.”
After receiving over 450 entries from 47 countries and regions, the competition was narrowed down to nine finalists from Italy, Spain, Chile, Brazil, Hong Kong SAR, India and Sri Lanka before the winner was announced at the Grand Fashion Show, where designers showcased their circular fashion pieces. The judges commented on the strength of the designers this year, making it even more difficult to choose a winner.
As part of the Redress Design Award learning experience, finalists participated virtually in icebreakers® “Go Natural” challenge on September 2, 2022, where they were tasked with designing a solution for a 100% natural fiber product that aims to reuse textile waste from icebreakers the supply chain, from sheep to shirt. This year, the challenge was extended to fashion and textile students from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who worked with the finalists to create their own design ideas, diversifying the teams’ strengths and further educating future designers on the endless possibilities of sustainable design. The challenge is designed to inspire finalists to ‘think outside the box’ and follow through icebreakers the motto of leading a more natural way of life and reducing dependence on synthetics. The judges were impressed by the finalists’ creativity, problem-solving and ideas, as well as their commitment to advancing sustainability and circular design.
The competition concluded with the Grand Final Fashion Show on 7 September 2022 at ArtisTree Hong Kong, with each finalist showcasing their collection to an exclusive audience in person.
“The need for sustainable design education has never been more critical,” said Christina Dean, Founder of Redress. “Education is not easy to deliver, however VF Corporation, and more recently the VF Foundation, have supported Redress in providing education for several years, opening their sacred design studios and expert calendars to extensive support educational. This speaks to the authentic heart that drives the business. We encourage more companies to follow the motto of purpose and, critically, to keep moving forward even when the going gets tough,” said Dean.
First Prize Winner of the Redress Design Award, Federico Badini Confalonieri, impressed the judges with his collection, ‘Micro – Rain’, which uses zero-waste techniques to recycle waste fabrics from his previous collections and draws attention to the issue of microplastics in the fashion industry, with garments made from synthetic fabrics that have an incorporated filter fabric to keep pollution at bay
“This award is about more than winning a competition,” said First Prize winner Federico Badini Confalonieri from Italy. “It will give me even more energy and determination to work towards building a more sustainable fashion industry. I am humbled that the jury selected me among such talented designers! We sustainable designers may have competed, but the reality is that collaboration creates greater fashion. To collaborate with one of the most iconic brands in the world, Timberlandit’s a great opportunity for me and I look forward to creating a positive and powerful project together.”
Federico will start his experience with Timberland brand immediately. He will gain valuable insights from the entire VF supply chain from sourcing to product development, deepening their skills and understanding of sustainable manufacturing and marketing.
“We were blown away by the quality of the finalists’ designs this year. The dedication and integrity of each designer in their pursuit of eco-innovation is remarkable,” said Puneet Khosla, Vice President and Managing Director. Timberland Asia Pacific, who also served as a judge this year. “It has been extremely rewarding to watch the last two winners on their sustainability journey Timberland and we look forward to working closely with Federico as he begins his exclusive winners’ experience this year. Together, we can make a real impact for the betterment of our people and our planet.”
The moment comes as the capsule collection designed by last year’s Redress winner prepares to launch in spring 2023. Taiwanese designer and circulation advocate Jessica Chang spent nine months working with Timberland Global design team to create the Year of the Rabbit capsule collection, which combines functionality and versatility.
The full Redress Design Award 2022 final is available on YouTube.
About VF Corporation
Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies that connects people to the lifestyles, activities and experiences they value most through a family of iconic outdoor, active and of work clothes including vans®, The North Face®, Timberland®, icebreakers® AND Dickies®. Our goal is to empower sustainable and active lifestyle movements for the betterment of people and our planet. We couple this goal with a relentless drive to succeed in creating value for all stakeholders and to use our company as a force for good. For more information, please visit vfc.com.
About debugging (www.redress.com.hk)
Redress is a pioneering environmental charity with a mission to educate and empower the fashion industry and consumers to reduce the negative environmental impact of clothing by switching to circular solutions. Its dynamic programs work to minimize the negative impacts of fashion, while promoting new innovative designs and driving growth towards a more sustainable industry through the circular economy. Working directly with a wide range of stakeholders, including designers, manufacturers, brands, educational bodies, government and consumers, Redress aims to create sustainable environmental change in fashion.
Redress Design Award is the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition that works to educate emerging fashion designers around the world about sustainable design theories and techniques in order to drive change 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 maximize long-term impact . The Hong Kong Establishment of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the main sponsor of the Redress Design Award. www.redressdesignaward.com
Media contacts:
Corporation VF
Becky Cho
Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications, APAC
becky_cho@vfc.com
INJURY
Shirley Aun
Communications Manager
shirleyaun@Redress.com.hk
