Glasgow Kelvin College has been awarded a worldwide sustainability prize for its project that repurposes old bridal dresses. The initiative is centred on the College’s fashion design course, and was recognised in the Green Gown awards. One of the top eco-friendly projects at universities and colleges worldwide, the awards celebrate innovative projects in sustainability. Students on the college course were taught to carefully unpick old sample wedding dresses and then use the material to create new, contemporary designs.
Old bridal dresses donated by Bijoux Bridal were used for the project, and course designers were restricted to using only parts of the dresses, including buttons and zips, to build their pieces from scratch. The fabric from ten dresses allowed 16 entirely new gowns to be made. The value of the bridal dresses was around £25,000, affirming the inclusion of luxurious material and high-quality fabrics. Using entirely second-hand bridal dresses provided students with a hands-on understanding of how to work sustainably.
The project also rendered many of the materials that shops usually throw away into usable fabric. Sandra Thomson, the course lecturer leading this experiment, labours her students to preserve the gowns and think more about the environmental impacts of fashion. The process imbued creativity in the students by giving them the opportunity to run wild with their ideas, providing the chance to transform the designs beyond recognition. The new spin-off dresses were showcased in a fashion show at the end of the year.
Kelly Carlin, 20, enrolled on the course after leaving school when she was 16. During this project, she had the chance to examine each layer carefully and felt transformed. The project gave her the freedom to tap into her creativity, breathing a new lease of life into garments that would otherwise have overburdened the planet. It is clear that the project challenged the fashion students, educating them about valuing fabrics and making things that connect with people and planet.
Sustainable fashion has been expanding consistently with designers adopting more environmentally friendly solutions and techniques to manufacture fashion that respects the environment and ensures the best possible life cycle. The Green Gown awards have rightly recognised the significance of these achievements, highlighting how sustainability should be fundamental in the fashion industry
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