Emerging designer Jon Liesenfeld's victory at Redress Design Award emphasizes waste reduction

German designer Jon Liesenfeld has won the 2026 Redress Design Award, an international competition focused on circular and sustainable fashion design. He was selected as the first-prize winner from eight finalists representing Germany, Hong Kong, mainland China, the UK, Austria and Israel.

The finalists presented collections developed using discarded and surplus materials, including unwanted garments, factory surplus, excess new stock and furnishings waste. The competition places particular emphasis on designing out waste at an early stage of the product development process.

Liesenfeld will receive an educational programme with British fashion businesses, including apparel manufacturer Simple Approach and womenswear label Roksanda. Runner-up Jasmine Cheuk of Hong Kong will receive a mentorship with fashion activist Orsola de Castro.

The award also highlights the growing emphasis on practical circular-design skills within fashion education. Redress says it has directly educated more than 36,500 designers and educators through its programmes and online resources, while the 2026 finalists also took part in a “Remake to Retail” project transforming post-consumer clothing waste into retail-ready collections.

For fashion students and educators, the competition offers an example of how sustainability can extend beyond material selection into design development, product durability, repairability, recyclability and commercial application.