Redress Design Award 2026 finalists revealed

Redress has announced the eight finalists for the 2026 edition of the Redress Design Award, highlighting emerging talent that spearhead circular and sustainable fashion practices.

Representing seven regions across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, the eight finalists will showcase their collections at the Grand Final Fashion Show in Hong Kong in September. Each collection produced by the finalists will showcase a solution for common as well as more complex issues surrounding textile waste, focusing on circular design.

Two of the finalists hail from Hong Kong: Jasmine Cheuk and Issac Tong, who developed their collections from post-consumer and pre-consumer waste, including excess stock, damaged textiles and industrial waste, using reconstruction and upcycling techniques.

Alexandra Burch, from the United Kingdom, created her collection from faulty and reclaimed tweed blankets, while Tal Zohar of Israel combined recycled fibres, leftover leather waste, secondhand hardware, and excess yarn. Jon Liesenfeld of Germany and Holly Shih, of British and Taiwanese heritage, both worked with non-clothing waste, including vintage furniture leather, army canvas, and reclaimed rattan.

David Schuch of Austria turned to biodegradable fruit leather and ethically sourced, non-livestock wool, while Yi Ding of China used engineered knit made from recyclable polyurethane yarn to create fully zero-waste knitwear.

“Around the world, the legislative hammer is coming down on the polluting fashion industry,” said Dr. Christina Dean, founder and chair of Redress and judge, in a comment. “Despite the complexity, the fashion industry is screaming for circular design solutions. The Redress Design Award circular fashion designer finalists are the breed of the future.”

In August, the public will also be invited to cast their vote for the People’s Choice Award, an award that highlights the importance that consumers have in tackling fashion’s waste crisis. The People’s Choice winner will be announced during the Grand Final in Hong Kong, which will be livestreamed for viewers around the world.

The winner of the Redress Design Award will receive an exclusive trip to the UK, where they will connect with leading players in the sustainable fashion space to gain further insights into responsible fashion design, development, and manufacturing. Tailored to the winner’s career goals, the prize includes international exposure, industry mentorship, and valuable real-world experience within the sustainable fashion industry.

The Redress Design Award, supported by lead sponsor the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), is the world's leading sustainable fashion design competition, with alumni across more than 40 regions.