The Sustasia Fashion Prize, a competition spearheaded by Shaway Yeh’s sustainability agency Yehyehyeh and the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association, awarded its inaugural cash prize to Chinese designer Ruohan Nie on Friday.
A jury composed of executives from the likes of LVMH and the Earthshot Prize chose Nie, a Tianjin-born graduate of New York’s Parsons School of Design who shows her namesake brand Ruohan at Paris Fashion Week, as the winner of the 100,000-yuan ($14,000) prize. Eight finalists competed by showing outfits made from next-gen materials supplied by companies offering low-impact materials or plant-based leather and fur alternatives such as biotech firms Modern Meadow and Spiber, bio-waste recycler Oleatex and BioFluff.
“This prize not only provides a comprehensive overview of the diversity within contemporary Asian fashion but also aims to build a bridge between designers and material innovators,” said prize founder Shaway Yeh who presided over the jury with Lv Xiaolei (aka ‘Madame Lu’), secretary general of Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee and executive vice chairman of the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association.
“It’s about providing designers at a formative stage in their careers with the tools and networks they need to pursue sustainable sourcing solutions,” Yeh added. “But the impact of the prize doesn’t end there because the pairings also introduce young creatives to maverick companies that need outsiders to help them breathe life into their materials or to improve the product-market fit. Longer-term, the prize should inspire and generate responsible business opportunities.”
Nie beat seven other young designers from across Asia at a glitzy event during Shanghai Fashion Week, including Tetsuya Doi (Requal) from Japan, Jaggy Glarino (Jaggy) from the Philippines, Kha Ngo (Khaar) from Vietnam, Pratyush Kumar (Pieux) from India, Tommy Ambiyo Tedji (Byo) from Indonesia and two eponymous designers from China: Karmuel Young and Angel Chen.
“Despite facing environmental challenges, Asia controls critical global supply chains and natural resources, making it a major force in driving sustainable development,” said Sarah Cragg, head of Asia at The Earthshot Prize, who sat on the Sustasia Fashion Prize jury alongside LVMH Greater China president Andrew Wu and executives from Chinese social commerce giant Xiaohongshu, Japanese fashion PR firm Seiya Nakamura 2.24, and Chinese brand JNBY among others.
“For sustainable fashion to truly integrate into the commercial landscape, it must be scalable. Collaboration across the entire supply chain—from innovators to manufacturers to retailers—is essential to achieving this,” Cragg added.
Shortly after conceiving the Sustasia Fashion Prize last year, Yeh formed an advisory committee of industry leaders from across Asia to ensure the appropriate scope, talent and commitment level of designer entries.
The committee included Fashion for Good innovation director Priyanka Khanna, Vogue Thailand editor-in-chief Kullawit Laosuksri, Jakarta Fashion Week chairman Svida Alisjahbana, Japan Fashion Week director Kaoru Imajo, Labelhood founder Tasha Liu, The Mills Fabrica general manager Cintia Nunes, India’s Lakmé Fashion Week head of sustainability Darshana Gajare, and Esquel managing director Dee Poon.
“It was clear to everyone that there was value in rewarding excellence and serving as a matchmaker between designers and material scientists. But what we also united around was the urgent need for this prize to bear tangible fruit — meaning positive ESG outcomes in the form of imaginative designs that real-world fashion consumers want to invest in.”
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Shaway Yeh, China’s Rebel Editor
Shaway Yeh’s rebellious blend of art, intellect and avant-garde style has made Modern Weekly one of the most influential fashion and lifestyle magazines in China.
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