We take a look back at EcoChic Design Award 2014/15 second prize winner, Victor Chu's, opportunity to design an eight-style staff uniforms for the hotels prestigiously attended Chinese restaurant, T’ang Court.
It’s not everyday that the issues of corporate uniform waste reduction are brought to the table. But this what was happening through the prize pairing between The EcoChic Design Award 2014/15 Second Prize winner, Victor Chu and The Langham, Hong Kong.
Victor won the opportunity to unleash his sustainable design theory and techniques, collected throughout the competition, on his eight style minimal-waste and durable uniform designs, which launched in October 2015 in the hotel’s two Michelin-star restaurant, T’ang Court. As well as reflecting the recently renovated restaurant’s timeless fashion, Victor took inspiration from China’s imperial Tang dynasty.
"Through my design, I wanted to create uniforms that respected the restaurant’s history whilst giving them a modern twist, combined with my ethos around sustainability," Victor shared with us. "I was also able to work with The Langham, Hong Kong’s team and uniform supplier, which gave me valuable experience in working in this different sector of the fashion industry."
For his uniform collection, Victor interlaced red and black fabrics to create a sense of elegance and grandeur. He added waste-reducing design elements, like lapel-less jackets and stand up collars, and cut-offs from production were incorporated back to into the uniforms’ collars and pockets, adding sustainability to the style quotient.
Shaun Campbell, Managing Director at The Langham, Hong Kong shared, "Working with Victor (and Redress) has been a learning curve to inspire change on our side. Dealing with uniform waste is a widespread challenge, and we’re proud to have tackled the reduction of our own impact."
This article first appeared in the EcoChic Design Award 2016 magazine.