How the Hong Kong teen behind the Dirtyfinger brand is turning trash into eco-fashion

“The whole thing with sustainability started when I moved to Bali in 2021,” Doeringer recalls. “That’s when I saw first-hand the negative impact of waste pollution.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic her family decided to escape to the Indonesian island, where she studied at Green School. The international school places a high value on education that focuses on environmental protection, sustainability and ecological science. It did not take long for Doeringer to be inculcated with the ideology through activities such as beach clean-ups.

“Seeing all the plastic on the beaches, I was really shocked,” she recalls. “That is when I started to do art surrounding this theme. I wanted to raise awareness about pollution. I started to use the trash I collected from beach clean-ups to create art.”

The results were exhibited across six venues in and around Bali. Later, several pieces were sold at auction, with the proceeds going towards combating the local waste crisis.