Celebrating Our Alumni: Paris Fashion Week And More
Kévin Germanier, France
Redress Design Award 2014/15 winner Kévin Germanier dazzled at his first ever Paris Fashion Week show at Maison Baccarat in early March. The Swiss designer presented a collection rich in colour and pomp that transformed “waste into love, debris into promise.” From candy beads to embellished denim and neon knitwear, delicate symmetry merged with oversized chains and flamboyant feather fringes to create an out-of-this-worldly effect, topped with alien-like beaded masks. The collection featured a collaboration with Ugg, and for his 8th collection in a row, upcycled Swarovski crystals, the grand debut turning the leftovers of corporations into iconic wearables.
Watch the full show here.
Janus Ha, Hong Kong
Hong Kong alumna Janus Ha’s upcycled designs from her brand If.or_seeyou was featured in singer Alfred Hui’s latest music video, Nobody But Yourself, released in March 2022. Her focus is on revitalising deadstock fabrics through her signature handcrafted smocking.
Annaiss Yucra, Peru
Peru alumna Annaiss Yucra was awarded ‘Positive Impact Project of the Year’ at the Latin America Fashion Summit in March 2022 for her support of the artisan communities of which she is also a part. Her brand expresses the identity of Peru through their garments, with focus on social impact, creativity and fabrics. From pioneering new alternative tools and materials to using cutting edge technologies, moving towards circularity, and protecting the value chain, Annaiss Yucra’s work both represents and supports women.
Saskia Baur-Schmid, Australia
Australian alumna Saskia Baur-Schmid has been named one of 30 ‘Top Personalities Disrupting the Fashion Industry in 2022’ by The NYC Journal for her work with her zero-waste label Hyph-n, born out of her dissatisfaction with the current fashion industry. Saskia aspires for a reverse of the current mass consumerist mindset of fashion through authenticity. Her brand is the Best Slow Fashion Brand winner for the Eluxe Awards 2022.
Jin Pei-Wen, Taiwan
Taiwan-based Redress Design Award 2021 runner-up prize winner Jin Pei-Wen recently collaborated with REHOW, a company that breathes life into old clothes sent in by customers for remake. Pei-Wen’s concept transforms a menswear shirt into a womenswear blouse using a complex zero-waste pattern, now in the REHOW catalogue for customers to order. The design also features a detachable collar that can be worn with other garments.
Ruwanthi Gajadeera, Sri Lanka
In October, Ruwanthi was awarded the first prize of the 2021 Taiwan Fashion Design Award, organised in conjunction with Taipei Fashion Week. Her collection 'kǣli' incorporated her Sri Lankan heritage and the many sustainable mechanisms of ancient Sri Lankan culture to support slow fashion and produce eco-friendly attire. Having designed under four key principles (low-impact, low-waste, longevity, and recyclability), Ruwanthi’s oeuvre allowed her to follow through with her vision of exploring sustainable fashion avenues with the intent to eternalise these garments to be passed down from generation to generation.
Julia English, Australia
As part of her PhD research, Julia is hosting a podcast called Seam Change, exploring the collaborations occurring between Australian fashion businesses and designers to remake, resew, redye, remanufacture, or upcycle their ‘waste’ into something new.
Listen at - Seam Change | Podcast on Spotify