Bio

Tian Ruyin was the Runner-up of the Redress Design Award 2024. She holds a master’s degree in Fashion Design and Technology (Menswear) from the London College of Fashion, UK, and a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design from the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, China.

“My goal is to show that sustainable fashion is not only possible, but necessary to protect our planet and resources.” – Tian Ruyin

redress Design Award Collection

Ruyin’s Redress Design Award collection, ‘STRIP STRAP STRIPE’, is inspired by her grandmother and the chaos of memory loss through Alzheimer’s disease. The collection explores aiding memory through cutting patterns and folding strips of fabric, forming zero-waste garments. Ruyin designs for low impact by selecting materials such as organic cotton and recycled fibres from end-of-rolls and cut-and-sew waste. The garments are durable and versatile, with multiple ways of being worn via removable parts. Secondhand cotton ribbons are spliced into the garments to elevate their style, including a zero-waste vest made from a single piece of ribbon.

Q&A WITH THE DESIGNER

1. Who or what inspired you to pursue sustainable fashion, and inspired the creativity behind your Redress Design Award collection?

During my first internship in the industry, I was involved in merchandising and quality inspection work. It was my first close contact with clothing production. I found that a lot of fabric scraps would be discarded after the pattern was cut. Even the last one or two metres of the end-of-roll could not be used. This made me feel very regretful. At that time, I was determined to pursue fashion design. I hoped to make better use of those wasted fabrics by designing a zero-waste cutting method to reduce production waste.

2. What makes your Redress Design Award collection uniquely sustainable? (considering sustainable design techniques you have used in your collection, e.g. zero-waste, upcycling, reconstruction; or waste sources you have chosen)

In this collection, I designed a pattern-cutting method of mainly strips and straight lines, folding the strips to form a wearable structure of clothing. I also applied zero-waste cutting and upcycled factory end-of-roll fabrics to create my garments.

3. What is your career dream or goal? How do you see yourself developing in sustainable fashion in the future?

I hope to build a sustainable clothing and lifestyle brand, establish sustainable operations for the brand, and practise sustainable fashion in every aspect from fabrics to pattern designs, production, sales, and recycling. At the same time, I also want to organise more workshops to get more people involved in creating sustainable fashion.

4. As a sustainable fashion designer, what is one item you must always keep with you?

I like to carry a small pair of scissors with me. When I see interesting materials while I’m on the road, I will pick them up and cut a small sample to save. I’ll then record it in my sketchbook, accumulating inspiration for sustainable design. Even roadside garbage randomly discarded by passersby can sometimes bring surprises.

5. Anything else you would like to share with us about you or your collection?

While browsing the secondhand market, I came across someone processing unused ribbons. These ribbons did not need finishing. To avoid waste, only what was needed was cut. Patterns could form naturally when splicing. To enrich my design materials, I started collecting unused ribbons from others and used them in my collection.

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