HONG KONG / AGILITYPR.NEWS / March 09, 2022 / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REDRESS DESIGN AWARD ALUMNA GRACE LANT REDEFINES KIPLING ICONIC BAG ART M

Versatile design uses VF deadstock fabrics to minimise carbon footprint

[9 March 2022, Hong Kong] Grace Lant, a knit designer from Hong Kong and winner of the Redress Design Award Alumni Prize in partnership with Kipling in 2021, has reimagined its iconic ART M Bag using recycled content.

Kipling is celebrating their 30th anniversary by partnering with renowned female creatives like Grace to express their commitment to sustainability. 

Launching in March 2022 in celebration of International Women’s Day, Grace’s Kipling ART M Bag breathes new life into VF deadstock fabrics. The choice to use pre-existing material reduces carbon footprint right from the design stage, where about 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined. 

“Working with the deadstock was fun. Utilising deadstock and designing from what is available has become my favourite way to work. In the end I chose more neutral colours (brown/beige/grey) to go with the multi functional approach, I felt these deadstock choices made the end product more versatile,” Grace shared, adding,“The team at Kipling have been amazing to work with.”

With a classic black base supported by patterned accents, quilting and webbing, Grace’s knit design explores the beautiful landscapes of Hong Kong. Her ART M Bag is multi-functional and can serve as an everyday bag in the fast-moving city. Its versatile design features a removable front pocket that transforms into a crossbody bag, an internal laptop sleeve and a false bottom that lifts up to become a divider for the spacious compartment. The timeless style ensures that consumers can enjoy this bag for a long time to come.

Grace was awarded the Redress Design Award 2020 Hong Kong Best Prize and is co-founder of the brand Love From Blue, a contemporary knitwear label exclusively using high quality natural fibres and deadstock yarns. Her Redress Design Award collection, Amalgamation, drew inspiration from the resilience and resourcefulness of minority groups and was made using deadstock, sampling yardage and end-of-rolls. Since then, Grace has continued to develop her distinctive flair for making enduring designs with unwanted textiles, which can be seen in her collaboration with Kipling.

The Redress Design Award is the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, educating emerging fashion designers about sustainable design and building toward circularity in fashion. Previous finalists and semi-finalists like Grace are part of the Redress Alumni Network, which provides support such as exclusive retail collaborations, textile waste sourcing and other professional opportunities to empower fashion change-makers. 

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High resolution images available for download here and full media kit here.

Media Enquiries

Shirley A. Wong Helaina Chow

Communications Manager PR and Digital Marketing Executive

Email: shirleyaun@redress.com.hk Email: helaina@redress.com.hk

Phone: +852 9257 0778 Phone: +852 2861 0360

Editor’s Notes

• The Redress Design Award 2022 is accepting applications until 16 March. Emerging designers can apply here.
• Grace’s limited-edition Kipling ART M Bag is available here.
• Visit the Redress Academy at www.redressdesignaward.com/academy for free in-depth resources on circular and sustainable design strategies. All content in English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and selected materials also available in French and Russian

About Redress (www.redress.com.hk) 

Redress is a pioneering environmental charity working to prevent and transform textile waste in the fashion industry. Its dynamic programmes work to minimise the negative impacts of fashion, whilst promoting innovative new models and driving growth towards a more sustainable industry via the circular economy. 

The Redress Design Award is the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition working to educate emerging fashion designers around the world about sustainable design theories and techniques in order to drive the shift towards a circular fashion system. By putting sustainable design talent in the global spotlight, the competition creates a unique platform for passionate and talented fashion game-changers to transform the global fashion industry and rewards the best with career-changing prizes to maximise long-term impact. Create Hong Kong of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the Lead Sponsor of the Redress Design Award. www.redressdesignaward.com

About Kipling®

Founded in 1987 in Antwerp Belgium, Kipling crafts lightweight handbags, totes, backpacks, luggage and accessories with a playful approach. Kipling currently has retail stores in over 200 locations, including Paris, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and São Paulo. Its bags are also sold in over 500 corners and shop-in-shops inside department stores plus distribution across 4,200 multi-brand stores and websites. As part of Kipling’s mission to living a lighter life, Kipling is committed to making more responsible decisions about the recourses used to create products. Kipling acknowledges its impact on the environment and is taking action to make that impact a positive one. Kipling is dedicated to making progress for a better future.

About VF Corporation (www.vfcorp.com)

Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies connecting people to the lifestyles, activities and experiences they cherish most through a family of iconic outdoor, active and workwear brands including Vans® , The North Face® , Timberland® and Dickies®. Our purpose is to power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. We connect this purpose with a relentless drive to succeed to create value for all stakeholders and use our company as a force for good. For more information, please visit vfc.com.