The 2012 Eco Chic Award: Are You Asia’s Next Top Sustainable Fashion Designer? Entries Close March 9th.

Did you know that in 2010 Hong Kong’s high textile waste rates, averaged of 234 tonnes of textiles were discarded by industry and the public into Hong Kong landfills, according to Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department?

Who will wear them after the trend is over? Most likely, nobody. (via BU)

Redress has been campaigning against clothing waste, and last year it hosted a show by some of HK’s leading independent fashion designers, including Magnan & Tse, to bring focus to this alarming problem, which i’ve briefly covered on this blog.

This month, Redress launched their EcoChic Design Award Hong Kong 2012 sustainable fashion design competition which will challenge emerging Hong Kong fashion designers to create mainstream fashion with minimal waste. The competition provides designers with sustainable design tools to take them through five months of design and theory that culminates at a grand final runway at Hong Kong Fashion Week in July 2012. The winners will design a sustainable collection for Esprit made using recycled textiles and go on an educational fashion tour of London in partnership with the British Council.

 Last Year’s EcoChic Entry on the Runway, Designed by Sofia Heussner.

+ Are You Asia’s Next Top Sustainable Fashion Designer?

The EcoChic Design Award puts the spotlight onto Hong Kong’s emerging sustainable fashion design talent, creating a platform to expand Asia’s sustainable fashion landscape. The competition is open to fashion design students and designers with up to five years industry experience residing in Hong Kong. Judges for the competition include Barney Cheng (Fashion Designer), Anderson Lee (Executive Director, Sustainable Fashion Business Consortium), Do Do Yeung (Publisher of ELLE Hong Kong), Margaret Kutt (Manager for Sustainable Projects, Esprit) and Orsola de Castro (Co-founder of ‘From Somewhere’ and ‘Estethica’).

Last Year’s EcoChic Entry on the Runway, Designed by Aman Cheung.

+ 6 Finalists and 3 Top Prizes

Winner of The EcoChic Design Award in partnership with Esprit and the British Council / To design a sustainable collection for Esprit made using recycled textiles and an educational fashion tour of London.

Winner of The EcoChic People’s Award in partnership with the British Council / This winner is voted online by the public and the winner will go on an educational fashion tour of London.

Winner of The EcoChic Most Promising Student Award / A visit to Shanghai Fashion Week.

As well as this, all six grand finalists will have their sustainable design careers enhanced by receiving a one-year premium membership with online sustainable sourcing site www.source4style.com and have the opportunity to retail their own sustainable fashion collection online at www.shopdescreateurs.com.

Hurry! You’ve got until March 9th 2012 to apply to www.ecochicdesignaward.com! With your application, you will need to submit a mood board and two sketches based on zero waste design and up-cycling. Judges review applications online and 12 semi-finalists are selected.

JJ.