Young Fashion Designers' Contest 2021 Winners Revealed

Talent of 10 young HK designers shines at fashion show

HONG KONG, Sept 14, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Asia's leading fashion event CENTRESTAGE, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), concluded on 12 September with the 2021 Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest (YDC). Ten promising local designers showcased their creations at an eye-catching fashion show with celebrities Denis Kwok (aka 193) and Bonnie Wong (aka Ah Jeng) showing up as special guests to add to the celebratory atmosphere. Following the catwalk parade, a judging panel of industry professionals picked out three winners from a pool of 10 for the four YDC awards. Champion and winner of the Best Visual Presentation Award Cady Lee received a monetary reward together with a one-month overseas internship sponsored by Fang Brothers Knitting Ltd.

The winners at YDC 2021 were as follows:
- Champion and Best Visual Presentation Award: Cady Lee. Design: "Emotion the Shift of the Self"
- Excellence Award: Toki Wong. Design: "Zoom Olympic"
- My Favourite Collection Award: Topsy Yu. Design: "Morning Moon"

Champion Cady Lee said her collection, "Emotion the Shift of the Self", was inspired by the contradiction between imagination and reality, using bold silhouettes and liquid-effect prints to illustrate a surrealist aesthetic. In addition to winning first prize, the collection also received the Best Visual Presentation Award. "I am very surprised to receive these two awards. Even though there were a lot of setbacks during the whole design process, I came to the show today with equanimity. Thank you to all the staff who provided their support over the past two months," Ms Lee said after receiving the award. She added that she has gained a lot of experience through the competition and plans to in participate more overseas design contests in the future, setting a long-term goal of launching her own brand.

Judges offer valuable feedback to YDC participants

The judging panel for this year's YDC was made up of an impressive roster of fashion experts and media pundits. Chief Judge was Katherine Fang, Chairman of the HKTDC Garment Advisory Committee. The other judges on the panel were Jonathan Lee, Senior Area Manager (Asia) of Tomorrow Ltd; Innis Liu, General Merchandising Manager of Harvey Nichols; Kat Yeung, Editorial Director of VOGUE Hong Kong; Kieran Ho, Senior Vice President-Hong Kong, Purple PR; and Jason Lam, Head of Brand, Asia Pacific at MATCHESFASHION.

Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, founders of the menswear label BOTTER, were invited as VIP judges. Although they were not able to come to Hong Kong to participate in the show, they shared a message via video, saying: "Thank you for having us at the Young Designers' Contest. It was great to see a very personal approach to each of the projects. Finding richness within yourself is key and we were super happy to see this in all the finalists' work."

Winning collection showcase and sharing session

From now through to 26 September, the public can appreciate the skills shown in the winning YDC 2021 collections at a display at Hysan Place in Causeway Bay. In addition, various fashion creations from Hong Kong designers are also available for sale at the Hysan Place x YDC Collective Popup Store.

Details of the various YDC 2021 activities are as follows:

YDC 2021 Winning Collection Display
- Period: 14 September to 26 September 2021
- Time: 12pm-8pm
- Venue: Urban Sky, 9/F, Hysan Place, Causeway Bay
- Display items: The collections of the YDC 2021 Champion and winners of the Best Visual Presentation Award, Excellence Award and My Favourite Collection Award

Hysan Place x YDC Collective Popup
- Period: 14 September to 26 September 2021
- Time: 12pm-8pm
- Venue: Urban Sky, 9/F, Hysan Place, Causeway Bay
- Brands on sale:
-- Aquarellie, ARTO., CONEY & Co, KEVIN HO, Lapeewee, LUKE CHAN,
-- MODEMENT, MOODLABBYLORRAINE, Phenotypsetter, Syzygy Outdoor
-- Gear, The Pills Clothing, VO-yage, WHY, YMDH

Winning collections photo download: https://bit.ly/3tFTamP
Winning collections Hysan Place display photo download: https://bit.ly/3C4fKIG

Champion and Best Visual Presentation Award
- Designer: Cady Lee
- Design: "Emotion the Shift of the Self"
- The design: I wanted to create a collection about the contradiction between imagination and reality. It depicts the concept of the surreal transition and distortion from the physical to the astral. Bold silhouettes symbolise emotional explosions, while liquid effects depict the transformation of real into surreal.
- Champion prizes: (1) A cash award of HK$60,000; (2) An overseas study trip, sponsored by Fang Brothers Knitting Ltd
- Best Visual Presentation Award Prize: (1) A cash award of HK$10,000

Excellence Award
- Designer: Toki Wong
- Design: "Zoom Olympic"
- The design: If the Olympic Games are conducted in digital format, what effect will this have on the participants? Through this collection, I explore the idea of how one should cope with challenges when situations don't turn out how you expect.
- Excellence Award prizes: (1) A cash award of HK$40,000; (2) An overseas study trip, sponsored by MINI HK

My Favourite Collection Award
- Designer: Topsy Yu
- Design: "Morning Moon"
- The design: "Morning Moon" is a historical story about the Chinese character. Inspired by the traditional clothing of the Tang Dynasty, contemporary craftsmanship is used to reinterpret ancient design. It combines rigidity and softness, revealing the inner strength of a woman.
- Prize: A HK$10,000 Lee Gardens Area e-Gift certificates sponsored by Hysan Development

Websites
- CENTRESTAGE: http://centrestage.com.hk
- The Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers' Contest (YDC): http://www.fashionally.com

About YDC

The YDC aims to promote a new generation of local design talent, while creating opportunities to showcase their collections in front of global and local industry professionals at CENTRESTAGE. Organised by the HKTDC, the contest is considered one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the region, with a successful track record of past contestants becoming leading designers for fashion enterprises or establishing their own labels. To further promote the international visibility of local Hong Kong designers, in 2012 the HKTDC launched FASHIONALLY.com, an online platform that showcases the work of local labels and talents and links them with global industry insiders and opportunities.

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

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