Fashion and Textile students collaborate with Link to Hope charity

Fashion and textile design Year 2 students from Northbrook College in Worthing were tasked with working collaboratively with local Link to Hope charity shop to create bespoke garments or homeware from rags donated to them.  25 bags of rags were handed over to the students and all the garments had to be made out of the assorted fabrics.
 
With the help and guidance from Course Leader Carolyn Harrison and the team, the students set about transforming the unwanted rags into unique fashionable items of clothing and homeware, using a variety of print and fabric techniques and manipulations, such as pattern cutting, construction and visual communication.
 
This exciting project gave the students an opportunity to work with fabrics that they wouldn’t necessarily have used before, broadening their skill set and gaining valuable experience whilst studying for their Level 3 Fashion Textile Design Extended Diploma.
Many chose to print political slogans, waste and eating disorder messages on their final designs, as a way of heightening the awareness around such important issues.
 
Speaking about this exciting project, Carolyn commented “The collaboration between Link to Hope and the students has been such a challenging, innovative and rewarding one. Our students tackled the brief in a very professional manner, showing great creativity, passion, awareness and ambition to push themselves into creating magnificent pieces of work, culminating in staging a photoshoot in order to showcase their creations. I’m extremely impressed by the student’s response to this project and what they have managed to achieve”.
 
General Manager – Link to Hope said “it was fascinating to see the students open the bags and their ideas starting to flow about recreating different outfits and looks that could prolong the fabrics life.  In this fast fashion culture it was amazing to see items that would have been discarded turn into really innovative and potentially re-usable garments ready for a second life”
 
The design outcomes will be within the charity shop window display of Link to Hope in Chapel Road, Worthing town centre from 17th January – 1st February 2023.