Hong Kong, August 26, 2026 — Redress, a Hong Kong-based NGO focused on environmental sustainability in Asia, has announced that public voting is now open for the Redress Design Award 2026, the world's leading sustainable fashion design competition, inviting consumers worldwide to vote online for their favorite finalist designs.

Voting for the "People's Choice Award" will remain open until August 31, 2026, with the winner to be revealed at the Grand Final Fashion Show in Hong Kong on September 2. According to the organizers, this year's finalist collections make extensive use of reconstruction and upcycling techniques, transforming discarded leather scraps, secondhand garment trims, and industrial waste into innovative designs, while also exploring new eco-friendly materials such as biodegradable fruit leather and non-animal wool, offering fresh ideas for raw material innovation in circular fashion.

Since 2007, Redress has worked to reduce the fashion industry's environmental impact by educating and empowering designers and consumers. Since its launch in 2011, the Redress Design Award has attracted emerging designers from more than 50 countries and regions and is regarded as a benchmark competition in the field of sustainable fashion design worldwide. The competition's main sponsor is the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Beyond the public vote, a photography team has also crafted a visual feast for the shortlisted works, using the language of the lens to showcase the textures of recycled fabrics, artisanal details, and natural imperfections. Photographer Paul Sunga said: "These designs show that thoughtful design can turn waste into beauty, and we hope the public will discover the beauty of these works through the photos and cast their valuable vote."

Notably, the shortlisted works were shipped from overseas to Hong Kong using DHL Express's GoGreen Plus service. Through a "Book & Claim" mechanism, the service uses sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil, reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 80% compared with conventional jet fuel, providing a practical solution for carbon reduction in the competition's logistics.

The Grand Final Fashion Show will be livestreamed globally on Facebook and WeChat at 5:00 p.m. Hong Kong time on September 2, 2026. Meanwhile, works from six past winner brands will be publicly displayed during the CENTRESTAGE exhibition in Hong Kong from September 2 to 5, allowing audiences to get up close to high-quality sustainable fashion featuring waste-reducing design.

For the entire secondhand clothing recycling and fashion industry, events like this not only demonstrate the potential of waste in creative design but also reaffirm the critical role of "design at the source" in a product's environmental impact — research indicates that about 80% of a garment's environmental footprint is determined at the design stage.

Source: From textile waste to runway: Redress Design Award 2026 opens public vote for the next generation of sustainable fashion designers #Redress · Originally published on 2026-08-26