Emerging designer, Jessica Chang, was announced the winner of Redress Design Award 2021′s first prize, following a fashion show featuring works from the award’s 10 finalists in Hong Kong on Sept. 11.

Chang’s prize includes working with Timberland over the next months to create a sustainable capsule collection that will be released for sale in conjunction with Chinese New Year.

“We bring a young designer into a big corporate process for a period of nine months,” explained Mahmoud Salahy, vice president and managing director of Timberland Asia Pacific.

“The core strength of these designers is technicality, but the point is, they don’t know to commercialise it or bring it to an audience, they need some guidance on who is the audience, how to engage with them, what is the narrative,” he added.

Chang described chance to work with Timberland on her own sustainable collection as a “life-changer”.

“Entering this complex industry as an emerging designer is daunting because, so often, everywhere we look we see bad news and complexity. We know we can bring change. Yet it is hard to magnify our big ideas as start-up designers,” she said.

Redress is an NGO that aims to reduce fashion waste and this is the 11th year it has held its design awards.

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