#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2021-09-16

VF Corporation and Redress Announce 2021 Winner of World’s Largest Sustainable Fashion Design Competition

VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC), a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories, continued its three-year partnership with environmental charity Redress, announcing the 2021 winner of the Redress Design Award. As the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, the Redress Design Award reflects VF’s continuous drive to innovate and foster the next generation of forward-thinking, environmentally-conscious designers in the apparel and footwear industry.

The winner, Jessica Chang, will receive the opportunity to design a sustainable capsule collection with Timberland® available for sale in 2023.

Winner Will Design a Sustainable Capsule Collection with Timberland Available for Purchase Spring 2023

“The Redress Design Awards showcase what is possible when emerging designs are given an opportunity to innovate around sustainability. We believe cultivating creative, up-and-coming talent is both good for business and a necessity for the future of our planet,” said Sean Cady, VF’s Vice President, Global Sustainability and Responsibility, who served as one of the judges. “Sustainable fashion and circular design align with our purpose of bettering both people and the planet. Watching our global teams embrace this sustainability competition and mentor the next generation of designers is incredibly rewarding.”

Ten finalists from the US, UK, Germany, India, and Greater China participated in virtual events, which took place September 1-11. The event included educational challenges and master classes on advancing sustainability and circular design in the fashion industry through a variety of sustainable production solutions. With a broader focus on the reduction of waste, the emerging designers secured their place in the competition by impressing judges with entries that offered climate positive apparel through zero-waste patterns, prolonged garment lifecycles, end-of-life disassembly, upcycling and minimal washing needs.

“At Redress, we believe that educating designers is an urgent must if we are to achieve our mission of reducing fashion’s waste. That’s why VF is a perfect partner for the Redress Design Award. They represent real life, big business proof that training their own fashion professionals does lead to action and positive impact. Education takes time and a long-sighted approach and the global education gap is worryingly huge. It’s refreshing to work hand-in-hand with VF on transforming fashion from the design board up,” said Christina Dean, the founder of Redress.

The 10-day event culminated with the Grand Final fashion show with each designer showcasing a full collection. The winner will participate in a mentorship program with VF’s Timberland brand and will ultimately design a sustainable apparel capsule collection that will launch in Spring 2023.

The First Prize Winner of the Redress Design Award, Jessica Chang, impressed the judges with her collection which incorporated waste materials into designs to connect with and inspire consumers. The winning collection demonstrated creativity in sustainable design as well as strong marketability and commerciality.

“Winning this chance to work with Timberland is a life-changer for me,” said Jessica Chang. “Entering this complex industry as an emerging designer is daunting because, so often, everywhere we look we see bad news and complexity. We know we can bring change. Yet it is hard to magnify our big ideas as start-up designers. The Redress Design Award has given me confidence - we are all in this together to make a positive change!”

Chang will begin working with the Timberland® team immediately, along with VF’s Sustainability and Responsibility team to ensure that the materials and design strategies meet the company’s sustainability objectives.

“The caliber of designs was extremely impressive and reinforces our commitment to eco-innovation,” said Mahmoud Salahy, Vice President and Managing Director, Timberland® Asia Pacific. “We are looking forward to working with this year’s winner based on our past experience working with Redress and the level of talent and creativity emerging from this global competition.”

This moment comes as the capsule collection designed by last year’s Redress winner is preparing to hit stores this Spring. Vietnamese designer Le Ngoc Ha Thu spent nine months working with the Timberland global design team to create the Chinese New Year-themed capsule collection, which puts both nature and the consumer at the center of the conversation.

The full Redress Design Award 2021 Grand Final is available on Facebook and key highlights on YouTube.

https://www.facebook.com/events/969838400505885/

https://www.youtube.com/user/RedressAsia

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

Messe Frankfurt commits further to East Africa: three textiles trade fairs during Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week from 2027

Messe Frankfurt and its Texpertise Network continue their steady, successful trajectory in the region. As Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) opened today, Member of the Executive Board Detlef Braun announced that Messe Frankfurt is licencing its three leading international trade fair brands Texworld, Apparel Sourcing and Texprocess to Nairobi, Kenya for the first time in 2027. From now on, they will take place annually as part of the Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) Nairobi.

“We Believe in the Value of Textiles”: Successful Opening of the KARL MAYER TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER

KARL MAYER inaugurated its new, state-of-the-art TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER (TIC) with a four-day opening week from April 21 to 24. The highlight of the week was the grand opening on Thursday, which drew a strong turnout from the international textile industry: around 220 customers, brands, and partners from across the textile value chain came to the company’s headquarters in Obertshausen for a first-hand look at the new high-tech development environment and lively exchange with industry peers.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles unveils Trends 2027 alongside new lifestyle zone and product expansion

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition 2026 will spotlight forward-looking design directions and evolving consumer demand, as the global home and lifestyle market continues to adapt to sustainability priorities, emotional well-being, and diversified living spaces. Taking place from 18 – 20 August 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), the fair will present its latest trend theme, ‘BREATHE UP!’, developed in collaboration with leading international trend forecaster NellyRodi™ Agency, alongside expanded product categories, and the debut of the Home Textiles Lifestyle Zone.

Itema to showcase weaving excellence at ITM 2026

From June 9 to 13, Itema will exhibit at ITM 2026 in Istanbul (Hall 8 – Stand 806D), unveiling a distinctive exhibition concept designed to highlight the Company’s expertise across the entire weaving value chain. For this year’s edition, Itema will introduce an innovative stand experience built around two core areas: advanced weaving and spare parts solutions and an immersive textile gallery featuring fabrics produced by Itema Customers worldwide.

Last chance to apply: ITMA 2027 Start-Up Valley closes tomorrow

Applications for the Start-Up Valley at ITMA 2027 close tomorrow, offering young technology companies the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of several successful participants from the 2023 edition. The initiative, organised under the CEMATEX Start-Up Grant programme, has already helped a number of textile start-ups accelerate their transition from early-stage concepts to industrial partnerships, funding rounds and commercial deployment.