A fashion show featuring upcycled clothing, student designs and charity shop finds has raised more than £1,200 for two Jersey charities.
The event, organised jointly by the Rotary Club of Jersey and Rotary Club de la Manche, took place earlier this month in aid of Autism Jersey and the Good Companions Club.
Fashion and textiles students from Jersey College for Girls took to the catwalk to model pre-loved outfits alongside their own original creations, made by transforming previously worn garments using a range of textile and fashion techniques.
Supported by their teacher Bianca Padidar, the students showcased how existing clothing could be reworked and styled into something new.
Rotarians from both clubs also joined the models on the catwalk.
The event combined autumn fashion with a focus on sustainability, with garments also selected from the charity shops of Autism Jersey and the Good Companions Club.
Organisers transformed the venue with seasonal decorations, plants and garlands, while local businesses contributed materials, gifts and raffle prizes.
The idea for the fundraiser originated last year, when members of the Rotary Club of Shepperton & Sunbury visited Jersey and shared their experience of staging a similar fashion event.
Inspired by the concept, the two Jersey Rotary clubs worked together to create their own version, bringing together students, charities, local businesses and members of the community.
The funds raised will support Autism Jersey, which works with autistic people and their families across the Island, and the Good Companions Club, which provides friendship, activities and companionship for older people to help reduce isolation.
Madeleine de la Cour, who helped organise the event, said: “The fashion show was a great success.”
Dr Effie Liakopoulou of the Rotary Club of Jersey added: “The result was far more than a fashion show.
“It was a celebration of young talent, sustainable fashion, collaboration and fellowship.”
Reflecting on the idea behind the event, she added: “Perhaps the best lesson of the evening was a simple one: sometimes a good Rotary idea deserves to be preloved too – shared, reimagined and given a new life somewhere else.”
