Eco-friendly designers do battle

When slipping on a pair of denim jeans, little thought is given to the impact the fabric has on the environment.

That's not the case for Hong Kong designer Alex Law Kam-on. He knows the damage denim production causes and wants to do something about it.

"Everyone has a pair of jeans but few people are aware of the immense environmental impact of denim production," says the 24-year-old. "Loads of heavy metals and chemicals are used to dye denim, which damages the environment and people's health."

Law is one of eight finalists in the running for the EcoChic Design Award 2013, a sustainable fashion competition encouraging designers to create mainstream clothing with minimal waste.

The award was launched in Hong Kong in 2011 and this year was opened to overseas candidates for the first time, making it the world's first international sustainable fashion design competition. The other finalists are Catherine Hudson (Britain), Xinyin Dai (China), Louise de Testa (France), Chiang Tsung-chin (Taiwan), Karen Jessen (Germany), Phee Ng Swee Yee (Singapore) and Clémentine Sandner (France but working in Britain).

All finalists used a combination of up-cycling and reconstruction design techniques such as reshaping secondhand garments sourced from flea markets, to using leftover textiles and clothing samples sourced from factories.