Three passionate Hong Kongers strive to disrupt the textile and recycling industries by innovating sustainable solutions to change mindsets and transition towards a circular economy before the landfills overflow.

The documentary is in English language.

Official trailer:

For more information on „reFashioned“ click here.

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A Hong Kong-produced film throws the spotlight on the devastating impact the fashion industry has had on our planet, and how three locals are using technology and innovation to drive change.

“reFashioned” tells the story of a scientist, an enterprising mother and a former corporate exec battling the lock, personal challenges and cultural mindsets in their race to reverse the effects of pollution caused by the fashion and textiles industry. And they’re doing this against the backdrop of a city once revered for fast fashion and cheap plastic production.

The documentary highlights the urgency for change in how we create and use clothing, and how every effort, both large and small, can help. It also examines the role technology is driving Hong Kong’s homegrown push towards a more promising circular economy.

“It’s easy to get overwhelmed into inaction by the scale of the environmental disaster caused by the fashion industry, but we hope our film showcases how each individual taking action in their own way can really aggregate into having substantial impact.” says director Joanna Bowers. Bowers is the director of the critically acclaimed 2017 documentary, “The Helper,” exploring the maternal sacrifices of Hong Kong’s migrant domestic workers.

The film’s subjects include;

● Fast moving Edwin Keh and his team of scientists at HKRITA (Hong Kong Research Institute for Textile and Apparel), who have developed radical new technologies that enable blended textiles to be recycled for the first time. Now, under Edwin’s fearless leadership, they race to bring their innovations to life on an industrial scale in time for the grand opening of the city’s only new textile mill in the last 50 years.

● Inspired by motherhood and confronted with the limited time children wear clothes before outgrowing them, former fashion buyer Sarah Garner was compelled to create Retykle, an online platform selling second-hand quality children’s clothing. In a market where used garments are traditionally shunned, Sarah must overcome this age-old mindset to reach consumers and achieve commercial success.

● Eric Swinton is worried we are drowning in our own waste. Working in the corporate gift industry, he discovered how much single-use plastic goes straight to landfill, prompting him to start his social enterprise Vcycle. The grassroots organisation aims to simultaneously tackle Hong Kong’s plastic waste and social issues by paying elderly waste pickers a fair wage to collect plastic bottles to upcycle into PET fabric.

● These narratives are set against a backdrop of the rise and fall of the ‘made in Hong Kong’ industrial era through the eyes of the people who lived it, and begins to stitch together what the future of sustainable fashion and the beginnings of a circular economy in the city may look like…

The film also features insights from environmental authorities such as the Ellen McArthur Foundation, WWF and Christine Loh as well as LEGCO member Felix Chung and the HKSAR Secretary of the Environment Wong Kam Sing.

“reFashioned” aims to inspire the audience through the journeys of three everyday people and empower the public with knowledge to make a difference. The film’s impact campaign “reFashioned Action” gives the audience a place to start.

“This is an issue that affects us all, there’s no turning a blind eye to this one” says Producer Kate Davies. “It’s been said before but it’s true, if everyone makes a choice to be even just a little bit greener, it’s a step in the right direction. Making this film has definitely changed the way I view fashion, and continues to influence the choices I make when dressing myself and my family.”

“reFashioned” also proudly boasts a predominantly female team of creators, potentially a first for a Hong Kong feature film. In an industry still largely male dominated, the majority of film’s production crew, including Director, Producers, Cinematographer, Composer, Graphics Designer and Sound Designer are all women and underline a strength of talent evident in the final product.