Industry events in Hong Kong and Shanghai addressed urgent textile waste crisis as Redress Design Award, a world-leading sustainable fashion design competition, launches its 15th competition cycle
[3 March 2025] — Redress, a pioneering Asia-focused environmental NGO accelerating circular fashion, under the support from the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency in the 15th Redress Design Award, successfully convened two industry events in Hong Kong and Shanghai, bringing fashion leaders to confront the escalating crisis of textile waste and explore innovative new models that put Asia’s leading circularity opportunity in the hotspot. These high-impact discussions sparked vital conversations on fashion, circularity, and culture inspiring emerging market consumers and Asia-fashion industry enablers to become more conscious about circular fashion.
Despite 18 years of successes and heightened global understanding of fashion’s waste through Redress’ efforts, textile waste is set to worsen. The global fashion industry produces more than 100 to 150 billion items of clothing per year.[1] The majority of clothing is landfilled or burned at the end of their life.[2] Shockingly, textile waste is estimated to increase by about 60% between 2015 and 2030.
“It’s a big blow that the textile waste crisis is escalating,” said Dr. Christina Dean, Founder and Chair, Redress. “We are devastated that our efforts are not denting this global crisis. Despite this reality, we want to urge more action from our stakeholders — industry leaders, designers, academia and media — particularly in Asia which holds unique keys at unlocking circular solutions.”
Against this alarming backdrop, Redress is intensifying its efforts to educate, empower, and inspire action across the fashion value chain, leveraging Asia’s leadership and influence in the fashion industry. Asia accounts for some 60% of global exports of garments and textiles[3], and also houses some of the biggest apparel markets in the world, including China, India, and Japan.[4]
Speaking at Redress’ Hong Kong event, Hon. Sunny Tan, Member, Legislative Council of HKSAR (Functional Constituency – Textiles and Garment) said: “Asia holds great influence within the global fashion industry. Our goal is to drive more awareness about Hong Kong’s significant role and opportunity in this, given our culturally diverse, inclusive environment, and deep fashion and textile expertise, which is supported by the government and embodied by Redress — the leading NGO accelerating circular fashion, right here in Asia’s fashion hub."
The rise of celebrating culture has sparked increased dialogue about sustainability. Redress is leveraging these cultural conversations to renew sustainability practices — like heritage, craft, durable and emotional attachment of fashion — into more mainstream dialogue.
Speaking at the Shanghai event, Redress Ambassador Bonnie Chen, Supermodel, Filmmaker and Environmentalist, emphasised the importance of culture in driving sustainable attitudes: “The worlds of fashion, film, music, and media can be leveraged to inspire consumers to engage with fashion in a more sustainable way, aiming to inspire better practices — like buying less, buying better, and giving clothes longer, multiple lives."
Also at the Shanghai event, Dr. Christine Tsui, Founder, Leng Yun Fashion Community, added, “It is crucial that we urgently educate designers to keep pace with the rapidly evolving fashion market that seeks to hire better educated and informed professionals to cater to our growing domestically designed and produced demands. Designers must be equipped to make informed decisions that foster sustainability."
Celebrating the Redress Design Award 15th Edition
These events also marked the launch of the 15th edition of the Redress Design Award, the world’s leading sustainable fashion design competition, which puts education front and centre. To learn more, please view this video.
Redress has witnessed over 18 million views on their online educational materials, with 23,000 fashion designers educated through their various initiatives. Since their first competition cycle in 2011, they have received 4,500 designer applicants from 92 regions. They have over 330 alumni designers representing 45 regions, with more than 185 based in Asia.
Over the last fifteen cycles, Redress Alumni have worked with American Eagle Outfitters, DHL Hong Kong, Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, Kipling, Shanghai Tang and Timberland®; showed at the 2024 Paris Olympics and fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, Shanghai, and Shenzhen; and dressed global celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Heidi Klum, Taylor Swift, and Sunmi.
As Redress continues to lead the charge in sustainable fashion, it remains committed to rising to the challenge of increasing textile waste and the urgent need for circularity. The call to action is clear: empower designers, integrate circular fashion education in academia, and take bold steps towards a sustainable future.
