Singapore, 3 June 2019 – Three out of eight finalist teams clinched the winning prizes at the Fashion Show Finale of the Trash to Fash: An Upcycling Competition, organised by Temasek as part of Ecosperity Week 2019. Inspired by the rising ‘throwaway culture’ in the fashion industry, youths created stylish and fashionable clothing made from recycled PET1 fabric, leftover materials and recycled items.

Emerging as the winning team was Team Ethicals, a pair of fashion graduates whose design featured a three-piece set with a unique structured jacket made from rPET fabric and scrap fabric. The first runner-up and second runner-up were Team JIHK and Team ZP respectively. Winning designs were selected based on the level of creativity, feasibility and quality of clothing, the integration of upcycled materials in the design and the overall aesthetic value of the apparel.

 

Held for the first time this year, Trash to Fash aims to raise public awareness about the circular economy and inspire youths to develop sustainable solutions. The three-month competition challenged participants to design clothing using rPET fabric and other upcycled materials.

A total of 25 participating teams collected over 5,250 bottles to exchange for rPET fabric, attended workshops with mentors in the fashion and design industry, and spent time creating their apparel and developing pitch videos for their designs. Through the competition, participants learnt about the value of “trash”, what it means for the fashion industry to adopt a closed loop supply chain, and how materials can be upcycled into fashionable apparel.

“This is Temasek’s first time organising a competition like this. We do it to raise awareness of the issues, and to encourage the ‘circular economy’ – the concept that waste can be reused and recycled, as is evident in this case,” said Robin Hu, Head, Sustainability & Stewardship Group, Temasek. “The pollutive nature of seasonal fashion is often under-appreciated, and we saw an opportunity to engage young people in sustainability through fashion design. In turn, the young designers have inspired and encouraged us with the sheer creativity of their sustainable designs using just recycled PET fabric and other upcycled materials. These young Trash to Fash participants have showed us that sustainability, too, can be fashionable.”

“Having the opportunity to meet participants from an array of backgrounds – from youths with no background in making clothes to experienced corporate teams with no experience in fashion – and seeing them come together to create change in the fashion industry for the cause of sustainability is certainly heartening,” said Coco Mercy Chu, Founder and Designer at KALAIA and Director of Branding and Comms at AntWorks™. “Reimagining the now and future of fashion and sustainability starts with the right intent, innovation and importantly, the collective participation of every individual.”

At the Fashion Show Finale on 3 June, the finalists presented their designs and showcased their apparel to a panel of judges comprising of:

• Arthur Huang, Founder, Miniwiz
• Chan Wai Ching, Head, Organisation & People, Temasek International
• Coco Mercy Chu, Founder and Designer, KALAIA. Director, Brand and Comms, AntWorks
• Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited
• Yeo Piah Choo, Director of Special Projects & International Relations, DesignSingapore Council

The top three teams walked away with S$5,000, S$2,000 and S$1,000 cash prizes respectively. The designs of all eight finalist teams will also be on display to an international audience at Marina Bay Sands during Ecosperity Week 2019 from 4 – 7 June 2019 at the Ecosperity Showcase. Following that, they will be on display at Temasek Shophouse from 10 – 30 June 2019.

Information on the winners and finalists of Trash to Fash can be found in the annex below.

Trash to Fash: An Upcycling Competition is organised in partnership with local events curation agency Tabula Rasa and supported by Taiwanese engineering firm Miniwiz, DesignSingapore Council, Temasek Shophouse and MINDS (Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore). To learn more, please visit https://www.ecosperity.sg/trashtofash.

About Ecosperity

The term ‘Ecosperity’ twins ecology with prosperity, reflecting our belief that doing good and doing well can – and must – go together. Ecosperity is our intergenerational effort to create sustainable

growth, by balancing the protection of natural and human ecology with achieving prosperity. We believe that governments, businesses, civil societies and individuals must work together to achieve an “ABC world” of Active and robust economies, Beautiful and inclusive societies and a Clean and cool Earth.

Presented by Temasek, the annual Ecosperity conference pushes the frontiers of sustainable growth by exploring the latest megatrends shaping our future. The 2019 Ecosperity Conference is held in partnership with Ecosperity Week. Together with key partners, the week-long programme from 4 to 7 June 2019 will bring global business leaders, policy-makers, investors, entrepreneurs and academia together to drive action on sustainable development. Key highlights include an innovation showcase, conferences, roundtable discussions, pitch sessions, site visits and networking opportunities across events.