Re: Fashion Challenge 2023

The third annual Re: Fashion Challenge was a collaborative project run by Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, UCLan and the British Textile Biennial. 

We aim to teach young people how to re-use old garments and everyday items to create cool, high fashion outfits, with the help of fashion mentors teaching them the tricks of the trade to become part of the zero-waste generation. They develop their fashion skills and gain expertise in sustainable solutions to fast fashion whilst having fun. The young participants can win prizes for their making, recycling or creative skills.

The young people work in teams to develop collections from second-hand clothes, dead stock, discarded and recycled materials. Each team develop a theme for their collection within the overarching ethos of sustainability and recycling. They learn how to use a sewing machine, how to upcycle something wonderful from old, discarded clothes and how even the smallest scrap of fabric can be turned into something new. They build their confidence, make new friends and develop their creativity. The week culminates in a professional photoshoot where the young people and mentors showcase their collections. The photographs and the full story of the project is published in our Re: Fashion Zine.

The teams get the chance to take inspiration from some of the extensive collection of textiles held at Gawthorpe Textiles Collection and is inspired by founder, Rachel Kay Shuttleworth’s focus on preserving textile making and craft skills to pass on to future generations so that the techniques are not lost. Many of these skills are becoming even more important as we rediscover the ethos of making our own clothes and making our clothes last longer.

This project was part of the Cherish the Past, Create for the Future project at Gawthorpe Textiles Collection, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.