Remake Design Challenge 2014 Winners Announced

The Live Eco Remake Design Challenge, South Africa’s premier sustainable fashion and interior design competition and official World Design Capital Cape Town 2014 project {#WDC547}, last night announced the 2014 winners, at an awards evening and design installation held at Selections Warehouse, Wembley Square in Gardens, Cape Town.

First place in the fashion category went to second year Cape Peninsula University of Technology {CPUT} student, Liam Power, for his menswear collection entitled, “Obala”. Obala means “transparency” in Zulu, the traditional language of Liam’s home province, KwaZulu-Natal. Liam’s opulent and colorful collection was made up of traditional, longer overgarments that celebrate African heritage, encapsulated in a contemporary silhouette. Proving that waste fabric and offcuts can be combined together with eco-friendly and organic, natural fabrics to create quality, affordable garments.

The 2014 fashion category theme was “Transparency” and one of the finalist’s three ready-to-wear looks had to be inspired by the Ford EcoSport. The finalists also had to adhere to one or more of the following sustainable design principles: upcycling, reconstruction, natural or organic fibres, materials with recycled content and/or zero-waste.

Susan Lampinen, Ford Group Chief Designer, and member of the 2014 Remake Challenge fashion & object judging panel, had this to say about Liam’s collection: “Liam’s designs demonstrated outstanding craftsmanship, great design with a focused design vision. He’s well rounded and a very talented student. I think he will be very successful in his design career; I was so inspired by what he had presented as his collection of designs influenced by the region. Well done!”

Liam’s winning “Obala” collection

Liam wins himself a Ford EcoSport to drive for 3 months as well as a professional photo shoot with his collection and the EcoSport; an industrial sewing machine sponsored by the Cape Town Fashion Council, the latest iPad Air, vida e caffè MVP for 1 year, R500 fabric voucher from Hemporium and product hamper from LUSH Cosmetics. All winners also receive a technical tour of a recycling plant and fibre manufacturing facility in Cape Town, sponsored by PETCO.

Second and third place went to fellow CPUT second year students, Leanda du Bruyn for her “Texture Journey” collection and Nicole Smith for her “Retrospective” collection, respectively.

Leanda du Bruyn’s “Texture Journey” collection

Nicole Smith’s “Retrospective” collection

First place in the object category went to Design Time School of Interior Design first year student, Lara Hooper, for her kitchen storage object range entitled, “The Snug Box”. The Snug Box is an insulated storage box which is used to keep groceries cool while in transit, in the boot of your car, from the store to the kitchen. The boxes flat pack for easy storage and are made out of eco-friendly foam and locally sourced shweshwe fabric.

The 2014 object category theme was “Kitchen Storage” and the finalists had to plan a 3-piece storage range and make one prototype which was inspired by vida and could travel seamlessly from kitchen to car, without looking out of place in either space. The finalists also had to adhere to one or more of the following sustainable design principles: upcycling, reconstruction, natural or organic fibres, materials with recycled content and/or zero-waste.

“Lara’s design was brilliant. I wanted to take one back with me on the plane, it has such international appeal. She shows how creative a designer can be with a straightforward beautiful approach to a practical need we all have with storage, carrying items around and keeping food warm or cool. She is innovative and her design solved a problem wonderfully,” says Lampinen.

Lara wins herself a Ford EcoSport to drive for 3 months as well as a professional photo shoot with her object and the EcoSport; as well as the latest iPad Air, a vida e caffè MVP for 1 year and a product hamper from LUSH Cosmetics. All object winners also receive a technical tour of a recycling plant and fibre manufacturing facility in Cape Town, sponsored by PETCO.

Second and third place went to Kelly Gait for “The Fold” and Camille Guibert for her “Triglide” range, respectively. Both runners up are in their second year at Design Time School of Interior Design.

All 13 finalists’ ranges can be viewed on the Remake Challenge website.

Well done to all our 2014 Remake Design Challenge finalists. We look forward to seeing our 2014 winners Ford South Africa media campaign coming to social media soon!

All images: SDR Photo/Simon Deiner