BYO By Tommy Tedji Named APAC Finalist in R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge 2026
Distinguished regional jury recognizes circular fashion innovation as the challenge advances toward its global finale.
The R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge (RCDC) 2026, presented by Reliance Industries Limited’s R|Elan™, the United Nations in India, and Lakmé Fashion Week, has announced BYO By Tommy Tedji as the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Finalist following the evaluation of this year’s pioneering circular fashion innovators.
Recognized as India’s leading platform for circular innovation in fashion and textiles, the eighth edition of the challenge continues to promote sustainable design by connecting emerging entrepreneurs with global industry leaders, investors and mentors.
Distinguished APAC Jury Evaluates Circular Innovation
The APAC Jury brought together internationally respected experts from sustainable fashion, retail, investment and design to assess this year’s cohort of innovators driving circularity across the fashion ecosystem.
The panel included:
- Christina Dean, Founder of Redress
- Hong Zheng, Founder of Greenext
- Rina Singh, Creative Director of EKA
- Jacinta FitzGerald, Chief Executive of Fashion & Textiles New Zealand
- Nicky Mac Callum, Venture Partner at Elaphurus Capital, Impact Investor and Social Innovation Leader
The jury evaluated solutions based on their potential to transform the future of sustainable fashion through innovation, scalability and circular design principles.
Showcasing Diverse Circular Fashion Solutions
This year’s APAC semi-finalists represented a wide range of approaches to circularity and responsible design.
Among the shortlisted innovators were:
- BYO By Tommy Tedji, transforming leather waste into modular and reconfigurable fashion products.
- PERMU by Heyun Pan, developing bio-based, zero-waste menswear using renewable materials.
- LE NGOK by Carla Zhang, extending the life cycle of existing resources through timeless design.
- One Middle Child by Brenda Palomino, creating biodegradable biomaterials from organic waste for closed-loop fashion systems.
- Tega Collective by Niharika Elety, revitalizing indigenous craftsmanship through regenerative and community-led design.
Together, the finalists demonstrated how material innovation, cultural heritage and circular thinking can reshape the future of the global fashion industry.
BYO By Tommy Tedji Advances to Global Stage
Following the jury’s evaluation, BYO By Tommy Tedji was selected as the APAC Finalist of the eighth edition of the challenge.
Commenting on the achievement, Tommy Tedji, Founder of BYO, said the recognition reflects the dedication of the entire team and reinforces their commitment to contributing toward a more circular future for fashion.
Industry Leaders Applaud the Finalist
Rakesh Bali, Senior Vice President – PetChem at Reliance Industries Limited, congratulated BYO By Tommy Tedji and noted that the quality of innovation demonstrated this year highlights the Asia-Pacific region’s potential to shape the future of circular fashion. He reaffirmed Reliance’s commitment to supporting next-generation innovators through technologies and platforms that drive sustainable impact across the textile and fashion industries.
Jaspreet Chandok, Group Vice President of Reliance Brands Limited, said the challenge continues to prove that the future of fashion belongs to innovators willing to challenge traditional manufacturing and design practices while creating purpose-driven solutions.
Stefan Priesner, United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, emphasized that initiatives such as the Circular Design Challenge demonstrate how the fashion and textile industries can accelerate the transition toward more sustainable and circular systems while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Christina Dean, Founder of Redress, described the recognition as a celebration of both design excellence and the vision to rethink fashion through a circular perspective, adding that emerging innovators have the potential to transform the industry’s future.
Next Stage of the Challenge
Following the completion of the APAC Jury round, the R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge 2026 will continue with the India Jury before regional finalists compete at the Grand Jury to be held at the United Nations House in New Delhi in October.
The finalists will then showcase their innovations during Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI at the French Embassy in India, where the Winner and Runner-Up of the eighth edition of the R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge will be announced.
Through its continued focus on circular innovation, sustainable materials and responsible design, the R|Elan™ Circular Design Challenge remains an important platform for accelerating the transition toward a more regenerative and resource-efficient global fashion industry.
