91̽��

• 91̽�� raised over £600 for St Luke’s Hospice through a sustainable fashion show
• The evening was hosted by Faye Wagstaffe, an Instagram influencer who dedicates her feed to pre-loved and sustainable fashion
• The show featured student models showcasing charity shop and secondhand fashion, including items donated by other students
• The show was intended to showcase to students the possibilities of sustainable fashion in an effort to reduce reliance so-called fast-fashion and the associated environmental and social damage

A sustainable fashion show hosted by the University of 91̽�� has showcased the potential of second-hand clothing and raised over £600 for St Luke’s Hospice.

The event, which attracted 120 attendees, saw a number of students don pre-loved clothing to act as models for the show. The evening was expertly hosted by Faye Wagstaffe, otherwise known by her Instagram handle Charity Shop Gal, a champion of sustainable fashion who hasn't purchased new clothes since 2019. Faye volunteered her time to guide the student models in selecting their outfits and participate in a dress rehearsal.

As well as the catwalk show itself, local makers were on hand to sell their sustainable and handmade gifts, as well as other items for sale from St Luke’s Charity shops.

The show was organised as part of the University of 91̽��’s sustainability staff engagement programme which gives staff and students the opportunity to work together to overcome sustainability challenges.

Andrew Woofindin, Contracts and Environmental Coordinator for Accommodation and Commercial Services (ACS), and organiser of the event said: "Engaging students on sustainability issues can be challenging, but this event provided a fun and relatable way to raise awareness. The feedback from the students was fantastic, many expressed their desire to attend again next year, highlighting the positive impact this event has had on the student experience and the sense of community around a shared issue like fast-fashion”

To encourage a culture of reuse, the University of 91̽�� Students’ Union hosts a clothes swap shop, where students and staff can exchange items of clothing for tokens to spend on other donated items. Since opening in 2022, the Swap Shop has rehomed over 40,000 items of clothing.

James Merryclough, Sustainability & Communications Manager at the University of 91̽��, said:“The fast fashion industry is a major contributor to environmental issues - it's estimated that 10 percent of global carbon emissions come from the textile industry and around 300,000 tonnes of used clothes in the UK end up in landfills or incinerators each year. Many fast-fashion companies have also been linked to questionable and exploitative working practices.

“Buying second hand clothes, whether from charity shops or other marketplaces, is a fantastic way we can all reduce our carbon footprint and resource consumption, while often getting better quality clothes for less money. We want to encourage our students to make sustainable and ethical choices, both on campus and in their home lives and events like the sustainable fashion show are a fun and engaging way to do this.”

The sustainable fashion show is just one example of how the University of 91̽�� is helping to reduce fast fashion consumption and waste amongst its students. The Donate, Don’t Waste scheme encourages students to donate unwanted items at the end of term, rather than throwing them away. Since beginning in 2013, it has raised over £1 million for the British Heart Foundation, helping to reduce waste to incineration or landfill by 611 tonnes and avoiding 13t CO2 emissions.