Charity Couture
Posted by a Contributor in October's MagazineA Thrift Shop Fashion Show… For anyone interested in fashion, or for that matter recycling, here’s a date for your diary: Wednesday 11th November at St Andrew’s and St George’s Church on George Street. Saint Columba’s charity shops will be holding two fashion shows – at 5.00pm and 7.30pm – all proceeds to go to the Hospice of the same name.
St Columba’s is unique amongst charity shops in Edinburgh for the variety and quality of its donations. This new venture will showcase the imaginative recycling of clothes and textiles sourced from these shops.
The show has been styled by the Fashion Pathway Leader at Edinburgh College of Art and the Masters in Fashion and Textiles Coordinator at Glasgow School of Art. The looks will be an exciting and contemporary mix of old high street, new high street, homemade, vintage, and designer labels. An organiser said, “the aim is to encourage people to become active users of their clothes, by exploring how we can recycle, adapt and personalise what we wear.”
“Recycling textiles is a good ethical and environmental choice. With a bit of imagination and some modification, clothes can become outfits of character and individuality. With disposable income on the wane, this show will look at the process of transformation and encourage us to think outside the box and be creative about what we choose to wear, in contrast to the throw-away ethic of fast fashion.”
One of the stylists, Beca Lipscombe, said, “Basically we have been editing through the donations handed in by the public and have put together about 60 looks for the event. We’ll also feature pieces produced by Edinburgh College of Art fashion students using donated coats and jackets and an amazing poppy coat and costume jewellery from Glasgow School of Art. Oh, and most of the clothes used in the show will go on sale on Saturday 14th November at St Columba’s shop on Drumsheugh Place.”
Tickets, priced £10 – to include a hand sewn goody bag – can be bought from any of these St Columba’s shops: Leith Walk, Morningside Road, Drumsheugh Place, Comely Bank Road and Fauldhouse.
Model: Sofie
Photographer: Robbie Smith
Styling: Mal Burkinshaw and Beca Lipscombe
Make-up: Julie McGuire
Thanks to Margaret McAlpine, Anna Beard and Anne @ Russell & Bromley.
Who'd have thought, from a charity shop?