<Photo description: (From left) Judging stage and celebratory performance at the Re-Fashion Mongolia upcycling fashion competition; group photo of participants and organizers following the final judging>

- 21 fashion students from seven Mongolian universities participated, presenting 14 upcycled garments created over two days

- Mongolian University of Science and Technology awarded top prize; four-episode television series documenting the full process aired on Mongolian broadcast TV

The KOLON Industries FnC Organization (KOLON FnC) successfully concluded Re-Fashion Mongolia, an upcycling fashion competition for Mongolian university students majoring in fashion, with final judging completed and the broadcast released on November 30.

Re-Fashion Mongolia was organized as part of KOLON FnC’s KOICA IBS-ESG Initiative in Mongolia, designed to raise awareness of circular fashion and provide hands-on experience in sustainable fashion practices for fashion students. A total of 21 students, comprising seven teams of three from seven universities across Mongolia, took part in the competition. In collaboration with Mongolian private broadcaster UBS Television, the entire process, from garment creation to final judging, was produced and aired as a four-episode television program from November 27 to 30.

The competition was structured around two themes. The first, “Zero Waste in Casual,” challenged participants to minimize fabric waste during cutting and creatively repurpose leftover materials as decorative elements. The second, “Best Design of Imagination,” encouraged students to reconfigure existing garments by repositioning fabrics and components such as buttons, zippers, and pockets to create entirely new designs. The participating students used deadstock garments provided by KOLON FnC along with vintage clothing sourced in Mongolia to create a total of two looks over two days, producing one outfit for each theme. The 14 completed garments were presented in a runway-style showcase and evaluated through open judging.

The judging panel comprised four experts, including Kim Su-jeong, Creative Director at KOLON FnC; Kim Seong-ae, Deputy Representative of the KOICA Mongolia Office; a designer from Mongolian cashmere company GOBI; and a representative from UBS Television. First prize was awarded to the team from the Mongolian University of Science and Technology for an avant-garde design that fused traditional Mongolian clothing with a modern dress, alongside a casual look that transformed denim into a bolero-style piece and incorporated illustrated graphics on a hoodie. The winning team received a prize of MNT 5 million. Second and third prizes went to Mongolia-Korea Polytechnic College and City University, respectively, with prize money of MNT 3 million and MNT 2 million.

Serving as a judge, Kim Su-jeong commented, “Grounded in ESG management, KOLON FnC continuously reflects on how design can shape a better future for both the next generation and the planet. Among sustainability issues, upcycling discarded clothing is an especially important area within design. Holding a competition under the name ‘Re-Fashion’ in Mongolia was deeply meaningful, and I was inspired by how the students thoughtfully addressed environmental concerns and expressed them through aesthetically compelling work.”

Meanwhile, since August last year, KOLON FnC has been undertaking the KOICA IBS-ESG Initiative through a consortium with its subsidiary social venture K.O.A, which specializes in fashion impact businesses. In Mongolia, the initiative focuses on building a textile-to-textile circulation system for recycling discarded and surplus clothing, while also carrying out a range of programs aimed at promoting awareness of circular fashion.

 < Photo description: (From left) First-place team from the Mongolian University of Science and Technology; Kim Seong-ae, Deputy Representative of the KOICA Mongolia Office; Kim Su-jeong, Creative Director at KOLON FnC; second-place team from Mongolia-Korea Polytechnic College>