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South China Morning Post
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Sustasia Fashion Prize: yehyehyeh's inaugural sustainable fashion competition, held during Shanghai Fashion Week, crowns Chinese designer Ruohan Nie as its first winner
Amid all the hustle and bustle of Shanghai Fashion Week this past season, one event stood out for its outstanding showcase of Asian designers making strides in sustainability: the 2025 Sustasia Fashion Prize ceremony. A joint initiative by the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association and creative agency yehyehyeh, the prize went to Chinese designer Ruohan Nie as its inaugural winner. She is best known for her eponymous label, Ruohan, which has become a hit across Asia and beyond since launching in 2021. Sustasia Fashion Prize designers and judges. Photo: Shanghai Fashion Week The announcement was made in the presence of esteemed entrepreneurs and talented designers from all across Asia at Shanghai's Suhe Haus on March 28. Visitors to the cultural hub are invited to check out all eight finalists' work, on display now in a curated exhibition titled 'Out of Asia'. The other finalists were Hong Kong's Karmuel Young , Jaggy Glarino of the Philippines, Kha Hoang Ngo of Vietnam, Angel Chen of China, Pratyush Kumar of India, Tetsuya Doi of Japan and Tommy Ambiyo Tedji of Indonesia. Advertisement The work of the inaugural Sustasia Fashion Prize finalists is on show at Shanghai's Suhe Haus. Photo: Shanghai Fashion Week For her efforts in integrating sustainability and the very language of her designs – Ruohan is known for producing garments that shape-shift and transform, rendering terms like 'top' and 'trousers' arbitrary – the victor took home a 100,000 yuan (US$14,000) cash prize. The Sustasia Fashion Prize features designers from across the continent. Photo: Shanghai Fashion Week This year's judging panel comprised Chinese tennis legend Li Na as well as leading sustainability experts and top fashion executives such as Sarah Cragg, who oversees Asia operations for Prince William's Earthshot Prize; Andrew Wu, president of LVMH Greater China; and yehyehyeh's very own founder, Shaway Yeh . As one of the leading voices on China's sustainability scene since establishing yehyehyeh in 2017, Yeh expressed great pride in this year's finalists and gratitude for the outpouring of support for the Sustasia Fashion Prize's inaugural ceremony. The Sustasia Fashion Prize judges. Photo: Shanghai Fashion Week 'The biggest surprise comes from the amazing combination of traditional craftsmanship [and] cultural heritage with the most technologically advanced materials,' Yeh said of the finalists' collections, 'and all for a plant-positive creative strategy. We feel this serves the model of next-gen design and fashion.'
Forbes
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Ruohan Wins First Asia-Wide Sustainable Fashion Prize
Designs from the 8 finalists from the Sustasia Fashion Prize were exhibited during Shanghai Fashion Week On March 28, Ruohan was announced as the inaugural winner of the first Sustasia Fashion Prize 2025 at an imitate ceremony during Shanghai Fashion Week. Founded by sustainability expert Shaway Yeh, the award was launched in 2024 to promote sustainable practices and accelerate innovation in the fashion industry across Asia. It offers a snapshot of the diversity within contemporary fashion from the region while aiming to build a bridge between designers and material developers. The prize is powered by Yeh's consultancy Yeh Yeh Yeh and the Shanghai Fashion Designers Association, a non-profit organisation founded in 2009. The finalists announced in December included the Philippines' Jaggy Glarino (Jaggy); Khan Hoang Ngo (Khaar) from Vietnam; India's Pratyush Kumar (Pieux), and Tetsuya Doi (RequaL≡) who hails from Japan as well as local talents Karmuel Young from Hong Kong and Angel Chen. Designer Ruohan Nie with her winning designers for The Sustasia Fashion Prize held during Shanghai Fashion Week Winner Ruohan is a Shanghai-based brand founded by Ruohan Nie in 2021. Predicting the shift towards quiet luxury, it has achieved a notable amount in 3 years—debuting at Paris Fashion Week, collaborating with over 70 selected retailers, and a nomination for the prestigious Andam Prize. Nie says she entered the competition as a first step towards embracing sustainability and the win offers her confidence, marking "the starting point' of a sustainable design journey. At the prize-giving, Yeh praised the designer for a brand philosophy that sees creation as a rigorous deduction. 'Ruohan is inspired by the folding technology of creating 3D from 2D and breaks the process down into the most microscopic observation and production. She is finding a balance between business and design integrity.' Finalist Kha Hoang Ngo's brand Khaar is based in Vietmam. In December 2024, the 8 finalists met in Shanghai for a workshop where they were paired with next-gen materials. Ruohan's assigned medium was organic satin fabric with which the designer pioneered a hand-crafted overlocking process. One garment was made of 1,200 pieces of overlocked squares hand-linked together without sewing. "From my perspective, sustainability is not only about materials and wastage but 'a regenerable creative process,' Nie explained. Present on the night was jury member, Andrew Wu, President of LVMH Greater China. He outlined the rigorous judging process, stating that the focus was on 'the evolution of business models as well as the material innovation of the individual designer.' Wu suggested that sustainable fashion and commercialization are not opposing forces, but rather 'work in tandem' through exploration and practice. The resulting designs were on display to the public during Shanghai Fashion Week as part of a busy Autumn Winter '25 schedule. Yeh hopes this meeting of minds offered has given rise to a cohort with next-generation impact. 'What I want to do is emphasize to the wider world that Asia's deep-rooted traditions in craftsmanship and material innovation hold the resources and talent to drive global sustainable fashion forward.' Finalist Jaggy Glarino with designs from his brand Jaggy for the Sustasia Fashion Prize held during Shanghai Fashion Week Despite the advances being made by young and emerging designers across Asia—and globally—big corporations and companies are failing to tackle the radical change needed to overhaul the industry. On these challenges, LVMH's Wu is clear: there are no fixed answers. 'It requires a collective effort from the industry and continuous exploration," he explained, stressing the crucial role of Asian consumers—especially Chinese—whose 'changing consumption habits are driving industry-wide transformation.' From consumers to logistics, Sarah Cragg, the Asia head of The Earthshot Prize, was similarly positive about Asia's role in systemic change. Despite facing environmental challenges, Asia controls critical global supply chains and natural resources, making it 'a major force in driving sustainable development," she believes. '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.' Finalist Angel Chen with her design for the Sustasia Fashion Prize 2025 in Shanghai
