Redress
is getting ready to launch a new search for this year's young talented
sustainable fashion designers. Normally, they'd be gearing up for the
Grand Final of the Eco Chic Design Award
this month, but they've changed the timing of the cycle so that the
Grand Final will take place in September/October to coincide with
HKTDC's CENTRESTAGE activities. This year's cycle has expanded to now
include up and coming designers from all countries in Asia, Europe and
the USA. Designer applications are due in April.
In
the meantime, Redress continues to work on some exciting projects.
Most recently, they released their first documentary entitled Frontline
Fashion, documenting the last cycle of finalists and their journey to
the Grand Final. I was able to preview a copy to write a review which
you can read here.
They're also authoring a consumer guide to a conscious closet called Dress with Sense due to be released in March this year. You can pre-order a copy now from Amazon. I can't wait to read it.
But,
in the meantime, I was able to interview Esther Lui, one of 2015/16's
finalists, to find out what she's been up to since the show wrapped up
last year. Esther represented Hong Kong in the Grand Final, and I
particularly liked how she incorporated care labels to develop her
collection. Care labels are often just cut out and discarded, so I was
pleased to see her make them an integral part of her designs.
Can you share a little of your background? How did you get interested in fashion?What hopes do you have for the future of the fashion industry?
Last time, we went to visit an Eco- friendly factory in Dongguan through the Redress Forum. I was quite surprised that their recycling system is quite good. I very much appreciated the fact that the factory makes the greatest effort to recycle their textile wastes, although it cost them a lot. If we all contribute a little effort, then it could do a lot to help save our planet. Therefore, I hope there will be more factories producing Eco friendly products. I hope it could be a trend for the fashion industry.
I really loved your idea to use care labels in your designs for the ECDA. How did you come up with that idea? What was your vision?
It all started
when I saw the waste from a clothing label vendor. I took some of the unwanted
labels home and weaved them into a fabric. During the weaving process, I was
reminded of the legend of Mulan, a woman warrior who was known for being strong
on the outside but had a gentle heart. The concept for collection was then
born.
In
my final collection, I applied the up-cycling design technique using surplus
textiles and discarded clothing labels, which I sourced from garment
manufacturing factories in Hong Kong. I also applied traditional hand-weaving
techniques and 3D cutting technology in my work.
How did you learn about the sustainable fashion movement and how has it shaped your practice?
I first heard about sustainable fashion
design through Redress at the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI). I debuted my
first sustainable collection for my graduation project, where I recycled
textile waste from several garment factories to make my collection. I now put
more thought into recycling and reducing waste through various fabric cutting
techniques.
As a designer witnessing
our earth’s resources rapidly diminishing and the increasing amount of textile
waste discarded day-by-day, I’ve become very motivated to utilise every piece
of textile in my creations. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to give a
new life to previously discarded textiles.What have you been doing since the ECDA Grand Final? What are your plans for the future?
I am starting a collection of gowns in which I am using textile labels as the fabric Why gowns? It is because I worked for a wedding brand for 5 years and I found that I really love to make gowns! Besides, I want to use the textile waste to make couture dresses because I think it seems like turning trash into gold for me.
Thanks again Redress for facilitating this interview with Esther Lui and thank you for all the great stuff you do to move the fashion industry towards a more sustainable future.
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