Mandy Fong Sze Man
“I WANT TO USE MY PLATFORM AND BRAND TO EMBRACE THE SLOW FASHION MOVEMENT AND CREATE PLANET-FORWARD PIECES USING MEANINGFUL MATERIALS TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF OUR CLOTHING.” – MANDY FONG SZE MAN
While the rise of fast fashion has contributed to the issue of textile waste, so have ‘fast furniture’ product lines. It is this home textile waste that designer Mandy Fong hopes to highlight with her work.
“Many household fabrics, such as curtains, tablecloths, bed sheets, etc, have beautiful patterns. Upcycling these fabrics has great potential to increase their original value,” shares the designer, who is studying Fashion and Textiles at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Mandy’s collection, ‘Start from Zero’, explores the beauty of discarded home textile waste by upcycling it into multifunctional outfits combining aesthetics and practicality. She sources recycled luxurious home fabrics and embellishes them with beads, lace, and handcrafting techniques for a high-end feel.
Incorporating zero-waste patterns and upcycling techniques, her designs present a vintage mood with raw edges, patchwork, and inside-out fabrics, keeping the original features of the waste textiles. The aesthetics are inspired by the natural cycle of life, from birth to death, with colours and fabric patterns reflecting this theme.
Mandy also designs with natural fibres like cotton and wool, as well as end-of-roll artificial fur and polyester, cut-and-sew waste, and unsold clothing collected from Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong’s fabric district. She reconstructs old sweaters, taking them apart to create a new garment, and also upcycles discarded beads into ornate buttons. A standout piece in her collection is the zero-waste evening gown, decorated with recycled lace from leftover fabric and cut-out pieces from a secondhand wedding dress.
As a sustainable designer, Mandy encourages others to join her on the journey towards a circular future for fashion. “By assigning higher value to waste materials and reducing our environmental impact, we hope to make a positive contribution to the fashion industry.”
