Meet the 2025 Semi-finalists

Hawon Park

Redress Design Award

  • 2025
 Finalist

Meet The Designer

“Sustainability is not just a trend—it is a responsibility.”
Hawon Park
“Sustainability is not just a trend—it is a responsibility.”
Hawon Park

Bio

Hawon Park is a Finalist of the Redress Design Award 2025. He is studying for his bachelor’s degree in Textile Art & Fashion Design from Hongik University, Korea.

Region

  • Korea

Collection

  • Menswear

Design Techniques

  • Upcycling

Redress Design Award Collection

Hawon’s Redress Design Award collection, ‘Brown Bagging’, is inspired by the practice of saving a harvest’s leftover seeds for the next farming season. Taking what might otherwise be left behind in fashion, the collection makes use of waste textiles including recycled RE-nylon, cotton blends with international sustainability certifications, plus faux fur offering bulk, tacility, and warmth. A jacket is made from biodegradable bioplastics containing gelatin (a byproduct of the meat industry) and agar-agar (a natural polymer derived from red algae).

Q&A with the designer

I was deeply inspired by the 2018 documentary ‘The True Cost’, which exposed the environmental and human toll of fast fashion. One striking scene showing mountains of discarded clothes in developing countries made me reflect on how my work as a designer could contribute to change. This realisation led me to explore biodegradable alternatives and textile waste solutions. For my Redress Design Award collection, I combined scientific research with creative reuse—like turning gelatin and agar byproducts into biofabric and upcycling discarded coffee sacks from cafés into a couture piece. I also sourced unused deadstock fabric from Dongdaemun’s textile market, giving new life to forgotten materials. My goal is to transform everyday waste into garments that spark emotional connection and awareness. ‘The True Cost’ helped me understand that fashion is not only aesthetic but also ethical—and that true creativity starts with responsibility.

This collection leverages innovative bioplastics that biodegrade naturally. The material is formulated by dissolving gelatin (a meat industry byproduct) and agar-agar (a natural polymer derived from red algae) into vegetable glycerin and water, infusing it with natural dyes before casting into molds to create a sustainable fabric. This approach addresses the persistent issue of synthetic fibres that resist decomposition and contribute to waste. To balance high-performance and sustainability, I also incorporate recycled polyester and recycled nylon sourced from remnant stocks in Seoul’s Dongdaemun fabric market, where surplus textiles are sold at low cost. Under the theme ‘Brown Bagging’, I repurpose discarded jute coffee sacks collected from local cafés as garment material for showpieces. By utilising biodegradable biofabric and visually indistinguishable recycled textiles, the collection not only mitigates the fashion industry’s entrenched waste challenge, but also fosters consumer appreciation for upcycled materials and shifts perceptions of discarded fibers into valued resources.

My career goal is to establish a distinct aesthetic rooted in sustainability—one that goes beyond a belief system and becomes a new design language. While the fashion world is rich in style, silhouette, culture, and technique, there is still a lack of designers who are shaping the industry through sustainability. In the hyperconnected 2020s, where diverse trends and cultures blend in real time, I believe fashion needs a new aesthetic that reflects this era. As synthetic fibres and industrial advances once redefined fashion, I see sustainable innovation as the next frontier. Through ongoing research into biodegradable materials and sustainable production, I aim to create garments that are not only beautiful but transformative. I want to redefine fashion’s value system—where ethics, material science, and aesthetics coexist—and contribute to building a future where sustainability is not a limitation, but a source of creative power.

I always carry my AirPods. Music energises me, comforts me, and sometimes even transports me to another dimension. Whether I’m commuting, working, or reflecting, it helps me stay centred and inspired. It’s like carrying a pocket-sized portal to emotion, rhythm, and creativity.

I’ve been working hard—losing sleep, fuelled mostly by coffee and passion.

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