WSA students in sustainable fashion initiative with Salvation Army

Year two Fashion Design students at the University of Southampton have been involved in an inspiring initiative aimed at transforming the fashion industry's approach to sustainability. Led by Sophia Malig, Senior Teaching Fellow at the Winchester School of Art (WSA), the project takes an innovative approach to repurposing textiles and promoting a circular economy.

Faye, one of the year two students involved in the initiative, emphasized the importance of the project, saying, "Last year, the Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL)’s Redesigning Fashion collaboration with students from Winchester School of Art featured a collection of used textiles that students repurposed to create new high fashion garments."

Students were given creative freedom to transform donated garments, fabrics, curtains, blankets, and sheets into wearable and desirable outfits. These outfits not only formed part of their coursework, but they were also used in a photoshoot for the Salvation Army’s Redesigning Fashion campaign which aims to address waste at every stage of the design cycle. The items were then sold in two Salvation Army pop-up shops organised by the WSA, in collaboration with SATCoL.

Additionally, students selected and styled looks from donated Salvation Army items for the Winchester Green Week Fashion Show, demonstrating how pre-loved clothes can be given a new lease of life.

The collaboration between the University of Southampton and the Salvation Army has already proven to be a success, raising over £1,400 for The Salvation Army from sales at the pop-up shops and the fashion show.

The scheme continues this year, and the new cohort of Year two students will be challenged to create contemporary style coats from curtains donated by SATCol, as well as turn donated fabrics into undergarments, using zero-waste cutting techniques. Through this process, students will learn to embrace unexpected materials and unknown fabric types.

Sharon Williams, programme in leader BA Fashion Design, said: “This project offers students the perfect experience to match industry standard needs to create innovations and positive solutions to issues relating to textile waste and the development of a circular design strategy.”

See what the Salvation Army says about the initiative in their Reuse, Repurpose, Restyle magazine (p8) 

Find out more about the Redesigning Fashion campaign, which Sophie was involved in launching. https://www.satcol.org/satcol-tv