French designer Hugo Dumas has earned top honors at the 2025 Redress Design Awards, sharing the First Prize with Carla Zhang of Mainland China. The competition, held during Hong Kong Fashion Week’s 15th anniversary, recognized both designers for their distinct approaches to circular fashion design.
Dumas’ five-piece capsule collection, titled “The Peri-Urbans,” draws inspiration from his upbringing in Essonne, France. The designs reflect his personal dualities—rural and urban, masculine and feminine, artisanal and industrial. Each garment is built with recyclability in mind, using monocolor and monofiber principles to simplify future recycling. External elements are detachable, making disassembly easier.
The standout feature of the collection is its use of Recover™ RCotton fibers, made from 100% recycled cotton. These fibers serve as padding in quilted pieces like coats, blazers, and trousers, maintaining consistency in material throughout the garment. The outer fabric blends Recover™ recycled cotton with RCS-certified organic cotton, produced in collaboration with Polopiqué.
According to a Life Cycle Assessment validated by EcoReview, Recover™ fibers use 99.9% less water and produce 93% fewer CO₂ emissions compared to conventional cotton.
Dumas’ win includes mentorship, a showcase at the Shanghai GREENEXT Expo, and a retail collaboration with Flora Cheong-Leen through the Tian Art Foundation. His work aligns with the ESPR rules, which emphasize planning a garment’s end-of-life to ensure its next use.
“I’ve come to understand that creation is pollution,” Dumas said. “Even garments designed to last should be seen as ‘soon-to-be-waste.’”
His collection doesn’t just tell a story—it offers a practical blueprint for circular fashion.
