• Swindon & Wiltshire Education, training and skills
• Tuesday April 28 2026

Fashion students’ rags-to-catwalk designs earn praise from charity and designer

A charity and a fashion professional have praised fashion students from Wiltshire College & University Centre for their innovative approach to turning unwanted rags into saleable garments in aid of hospice charity Dorothy House.

First and second year students at the college’s Trowbridge campus have completed a project with Dorothy House to take donated clothes that are too damaged or dirty to sell and upcycle them into brand new, bespoke garments and bags to be sold at its shop in The Shires.

The students chose rags destined for recycling at the Winsley charity’s warehouse in Corsham. The first years created party wear aimed at 16 to 25-year-olds inspired by Marie Antoinette, while the second year students used the unwanted clothes to couture for a fashion show in June. They took inspiration from creations they had seen at two exhibitions in London.

“We were amazed by what they had created and we can’t wait to come to the fashion show to see it live,” said Dorothy House head of communications Katy Hancock.

“What was really fantastic was to be able to see how they’d incorporated the Dorothy House branding into posters and artwork about sustainable fashion and we loved some of the slogans.

“I was really delighted to see that a load of what looked like waste had been repurposed into something really incredible and very inventive. They’d really thought about their target audience and what helped I think is the fact that they love shopping in our shop, so they were very aware of the kind of things that they would like to buy. To see them modelling their dresses as well for their portfolios was great.”

Her praise was echoed by designer Sharon Goold, who has worked with the charity to upcycle donated clothes as part of its Threads For Care initiative. She had visited the students to talk to them about what she does at the start of the project.

“I’m really impressed by the different ranges of design I’ve seen from them,” she said. “They haven’t all just used each other’s ideas, they’re all very unique.

“I’ve just been wowed by them first really and thought ‘oh my goodness, they’ve had such great ideas’. They have obviously tried to use everything that they had to hand.”

The clothes will be assessed by managers at the Dorothy House shop in The Shires, where they may also be used to create a window display.

Lecturer Helen Chivers said the students had learned a lot about being resourceful and solving problems through the project. “I think it’s been a real challenge for the students,” she said. “I don’t think it’s been easy to design and they have struggled sometimes to know what to do with the fabrics.

“That has challenged them to go beyond the boundaries that they would normally design to, which has been very good. I think it’s felt very real to them and because it has been on Dorothy House’s social media and out in the shops, and ultimately the catwalk show, it’s been a very real project for them that has not just happened in the classroom.”

She said the charity’s visit and praise for their work had given them a confidence boost. “They really enjoyed it and they were proud of what they had produced,” she said. “There’s a really feel good factor to it.

“They are ready to move on to the next thing but they will be taking with them the skills they’ve learnt and a recognition that they like working like this as a designer. So it has been a real success and we’re very grateful to Dorothy House for their support.”