How Redress Alumni have been rising to the challenge to accelerate fashion’s circularity
15 years of the Redress Design Award isn’t just a milestone—it’s a testament to the designers who’ve turned fashion’s biggest hurdles into their boldest opportunities. This year, as we celebrate ‘Rising to the Challenge’, we’re spotlighting competition alumni like Annaiss Yucra: fashion game-changers who are proving that circular fashion isn’t just possible—it’s powerful.
Discover how the Redress Alumni Network fueled Annaiss’ growth, the projects that turned waste into wonder, and why the next 15 years depend on designers like her stepping up.
Please tell us more about your brand and innovation.
COMPOST TEXTIL is a sustainable textile innovation developed within my brand, ANNAISS YUCRA, in 2020. It was born from our in-house process of separating textile waste by material and origin. Refusing to send this waste to landfills, we looked for ways to give it a meaningful final life. This led us to create a new kind of textile — one that is circular, wearable, and deeply rooted in ancestral wisdom.
What was the inspiration behind your innovation?
The inspiration came from a blend of environmental urgency and cultural responsibility. I grew up immersed in Andean textile traditions. To honour that legacy, we partnered with the community of Santiago de Chuco in northern Peru, where artisans continue to use the ancient backstrap loom (known locally as telar de cintura). Together, we developed a fabric that weaves our textile waste into durable, one-of-a-kind pieces — transforming discarded materials into living heritage.
What challenges did you experience in launching it?
Working with post-industrial waste means dealing with inconsistent materials. It took time and collaboration to make the fabric strong and wearable. On top of that, there were challenges in changing perceptions around waste and in ensuring fair, transparent practices with artisan partners. But the result was a fabric that not only speaks of sustainability, but of identity and resilience.
What issues do you hope to tackle with this innovation?
COMPOST TEXTIL addresses fashion’s overproduction, the invisibility of Indigenous craftsmanship, and the lack of sustainable disposal methods in the industry. It also uplifts ancestral knowledge by creating fair work opportunities for artisans and protecting techniques that might otherwise be lost.
How has your innovation changed the fashion space since launch?
Since presenting COMPOST TEXTIL during Paris Fashion Week 2025, the technique has sparked dialogue on circularity, cultural preservation, and decolonial design. It has empowered local artisans and introduced a new method of sustainable, culturally conscious textile production.
In 2023, a digital version of a COMPOST TEXTIL piece was integrated into the ZEPETO game in South Korea — creating a crossover between artisanal heritage and digital innovation.
In 2025, the project earned international recognition and was awarded through the Emerging Designer Award at Tenerife Moda (June 14th Edition), sponsored by Cabildo de Tenerife, and received the Condé Nast College Award, presented by Vogue Spain. These recognitions are enabling continued research and development of the technique.
Anything else to share about your innovation?
To date, COMPOST TEXTIL allows us to repurpose more than 80% of our sampling textile waste. The resulting fabric is biodegradable, and in proper compost conditions, breaks down in approximately 12 weeks with no toxic residue or microplastics.