Ruohan secures inaugural Sustasia Fashion Prize in Shanghai

On March 28, 2025, the inaugural Sustasia Fashion Prize 2025 was awarded to Ruohan during a ceremony at Shanghai Fashion Week. This award was launched by sustainability expert Shaway Yeh in 2024, aiming to promote sustainable practices and innovation in the Asian fashion industry. The event gathered eight Asian finalists, showcasing the diversity of contemporary fashion in the region and fostering connections between designers and material developers. Ruohan's innovative approach involved using organic satin fabric, resulting in a hand-crafted garment made of 1,200 overlocked squares, emphasizing her unique take on sustainability. The selection process highlighted the importance of both business model evolution and material innovation, as explained by jury member Andrew Wu, President of LVMH Greater China. The finalists, including talents from Hong Kong, Japan, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines, participated in workshops where they were paired with next-generation materials. Ruohan's design philosophy reflects a commitment to sustainability, viewing it as more than just material use; she sees it as a regenerative creative process. The designs were presented for public viewing during Shanghai Fashion Week and represent a significant effort to establish a cohort of designers capable of impacting global sustainable fashion positively. Despite the achievement of young and emerging designers like Ruohan, larger corporations in the fashion industry continue to struggle in adapting to the pressing changes required for sustainability. Andrew Wu stated that for sustainable fashion to truly integrate into the commercial landscape, it must be scalable, necessitating collaboration across the entire supply chain from innovators to manufacturers to retailers. The event not only showcased innovative designs but also highlighted Asia's potential to drive sustainable fashion forward, rooted in its deep craftsmanship traditions and material innovations. Shaway Yeh expressed hope that this meeting of minds achieved during Shanghai Fashion Week could lead to a significant shift toward a more sustainable fashion approach in Asia. The Sustasia Fashion Prize aims to create a platform that fosters creativity and sustainable development across the fashion industry in Asia. As the finalists collaborated on their designs, the goal was not only to present innovative clothing but also to rethink and reshape how fashion is produced, consumed, and valued in the global market. The prize underscores the importance of the next generation of designers in leading the change towards a more sustainable future, merging creativity with sustainability in meaningful ways.