Asian designers recognized for sustainability ethics

Creations by shortlisted designers of the Yoox Estethica Sustainability awards are eco-friendly but present signature styles as well.[Photo provided to China Daily]

A shortlist of six emerging designers from Asia was made from hundreds of candidates to compete for the final Yoox Estethica Sustainability awards that were announced in November.

The winners were Kain Picken and Fiona Lau, founders of the Hong Kong-based FFIXXED Studio.

The other nominees were: Su, who started her eponymous brand, Renli Su, in London in 2013; Thuy Duong Nguyen, who is behind Vietnamese brand Thu Thu; Ken Samudio from the Philippines; South Korean brand ReCode; and Japanese designer Suzuki Takayuki.

Despite their different styles and backgrounds, all six candidates showed commitment to "ethical" designing and production processes-from the use of materials like natural fabrics that are not petroleum-based or treated with chemicals for softening and coloring to workplace conditions such as not using child labor, according to the awards committee.

In Su's case, her promotion and persistent use of organic fabrics and traditional handicrafts set a fine Chinese example of ethical fashion, according to the panel of judges.

"We are not asking people not to buy, but to buy better," says De Castro.

Other than De Castro, the panel included Luca Martines, president of Yoox.com, and Susanna Lau, commonly known as Susie Bubble, who, with 238,000 followers on Instagram, is among the world's leading fashion bloggers.