From classroom to couture: USW students reimagine donated school uniforms

Fashion Design students at the University of South Wales have transformed unwanted school uniforms into catwalk-worthy fashion pieces, thanks to a sustainability-focused partnership with Caerphilly Uniform Exchange.

Using donated items that could not easily be redistributed, including faded polo shirts, personalised sweatshirts and worn trousers, the students upcycled them into contemporary jackets, blouses, skirts and dresses.

Drawing on spring/summer trend forecasts, the students explored how donated uniforms could be deconstructed and reworked into original garments. Their final designs were unveiled at an exhibition earlier this month at Y Banc in Caerphilly town centre, before going on display at USW's Cardiff Campus.

Founded in 2022 by Lisa Watkins, Caerphilly Uniform Exchange provides new and pre-loved school uniform to families across the county borough, helping to reduce costs while preventing textiles from ending up in landfill.

After attending USW's Conscious Threads symposium, which challenged industry leaders and local businesses to rethink how fashion is made and consumed, Lisa worked with the Fashion team to develop a live brief for second-year students.

Lisa Watkins, Founder and Managing Director of Caerphilly Uniform Exchange, said: “During the four years we’ve been running, we’ve noticed that some garments can be difficult to re-use, so we wanted to come up with a sustainable alternative to having to dispose of them.

“I’m delighted to say that the USW students have come up with some great solutions to transform these ‘problem items’ into amazing garments. They have also helped us to identify ways we can use donated uniform to create items for sale in our shop, which will be hugely beneficial to us in the future.

“This exhibition is a fantastic way to raise awareness of textile waste, while highlighting Caerphilly Uniform Exchange to the wider community and showcasing the students’ brilliant work.”

Joanne Terrar-Young, lecturer in Fashion Design at USW, added: “Working with industry partners is an invaluable opportunity for our students. They are more invested in projects like this because the outcomes are real; they can see the value they bring and the positive impact their work can have. They have worked collaboratively and individually on design, process, development, construction and presentation, which has been a great experience for them.

“Embedding sustainability into our curriculum is so important, and in Fashion Design, it needs to be considered at every step of the process. There is no magic formula for making the industry greener, but meaningful dialogue is fundamental to driving change.”

Rosie Protheroe, from Neath, is in her final year of Fashion Design and created a gingham top and collar. She said: “I had never upcycled anything before, so this project was a real challenge that taught me a lot. I chose the gingham fabric as I loved the pattern, and I knew it had potential to become something really pretty that suited the style I was going for. Overconsumption is a huge issue in the fashion industry, with so many damaged clothes ending up in landfill, so it has been great to give them a new life.”

LeAndre Kuudzadombo, from Leeds, is also in her final year of the course and made a multifunctional dress from a combination of school shirts and gingham fabric. She said: “I loved the La Dolce Vita trend that was huge this summer, so I took inspiration from the colourful fruit designs and tried to incorporate them into a versatile piece that could be worn in lots of different ways.

“When we visited the Caerphilly Uniform Exchange shop in Lansbury Park, it reminded me of the community where I grew up, which was quite a deprived area with several low-income families. This was why it was important to me to create an outfit that could be worn again and again, with a different look each time. I’m really proud of it, and can’t wait to wear it myself!”