Recycled materials were given a new lease of life to impress guests at a college fashion show with sustainability at its heart.
Dozens of upcycled garments were paraded on the catwalk in front of a packed audience at the HSDC Havant theatre as students took to the stage at the HSDC Sustainable Fashion Show.
Fabric and clothing was donated by the FatFace Foundation for students to transform into eco-friendly new outfits for the show, which took place as part of the Havant Borough Big Green Week.
Havant Climate Alliance, which organised the environmental events throughout the week, approached the college about collaborating on a project and students from across both the Havant and South Downs campuses got on board. 
Lecturer Ruth Lacey said:
“The event provided a great opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity with an important sustainability element.
“We collaborated with the Fashion Course at South Downs, uniting these specialist courses.”
This event was the latest in a series of sustainable fashion events and experiences for Fashion and Textiles students at HSDC.
In their first year of college, students had been invited to the University of Portsmouth for a vinyl printing workshop, which they thoroughly enjoyed.
Also, three members of staff from FatFace head office visited HSDC to talk to the students about the ideas behind the brand’s sustainable ethos and rigorous sourcing processes.
On the night of the fashion show, guests enjoyed talks from Havant Climate Alliance, FatFace Foundation and Noorin Khamisani from the Fashion and Textiles course at the University of Portsmouth.
Textiles A Level students at HSDC Havant and Fashion Design & Clothing Construction Level 3 students at the South Downs Campus then took to the stage in their imaginative creations.
Second-year student Kurtis Griggs showed off his outfit which was inspired by the sea, sun and sky.
He said: 
“My outfit design has been driven as much about deconstruction as construction. I wanted to show a cyclical life to my garment, so the purposes of sustainability and repurposing are clear and true to the influences of Green Week and our fashion show.
“I think that sustainability as a whole is something worth being mindful of. Our impact to our world and our society can all be traced down to the things we do. This includes our clothes – wearing clothes that best consider their impact is the best way forward to making a change.”
Staff from FatFace are in the process of choosing winning designs from the show, and students will have a week’s work experience at the company’s head office as a prize.
This is just the beginning of HSDC’s commitment to sustainable fashion, with upcoming plans including a vintage clothes swap across all three campuses during Fashion Revolution Week in April.
Find out more about studying Fashion & Textiles at HSDC using our course finder.