Birmingham Hospice’s Reloved Brum charity superstore in Harborne is proudly supporting the national Mend It May campaign in partnership with Birmingham City University (BCU), celebrating creativity, sustainability and the power of giving clothing a second life.
Mend it May, an initiative from Sustainable Fashion Week, encourages people to repair, reuse, and reimagine their clothing through sewing and textile techniques, helping to reduce waste and challenge the culture of fast fashion.
As part of the collaboration, students from BCU’s Department of Fashion and Jewellery worked with unsuitable stock donated to Reloved Brum, transforming discarded garments into unique, bespoke fashion pieces. The project allowed students to combine sustainability with creative experimentation while contributing to their textile degree coursework.
The finished designs will be displayed in store from Friday 22nd May until mid-August, before being showcased at the Reloved Brum Fashion Show on 5th June.
Maria Penaloza, BA Textile Design student at BCU said: “Watching the garment gradually transform changed my relationship with it, to the point that I even created a character to tell its story. Through experimentation, I began to appreciate its qualities and learned how materials interact across techniques. I am inspired to transform garments and share these techniques with others, encouraging people to value discarded items rather than letting them end up in landfill.”
Ed Blackwell, Store Manager at Reloved Brum said: “We are thrilled to be involved in this exciting project. It’s clear to see Birmingham has some incredibly talented fashion creators. Seeing donated garments transformed into completely unique pieces has been inspiring for both our team and customers. Projects like this show how charity retail can support sustainability, creativity and the local community all at the same time.”
Zoe Hillyard, Senior Lecturer in Textile Design at BCU said: “It has been so enjoyable seeing how customisation and repair skills have built a strong bond between each textile design student and their salvaged garment. Being introduced to heritage hand-stitching skills like gold work, sachiko and needle weaving, the project explored what can happen when you work directly on one garment for a month. The outcomes are joyful and unique celebrations of technical and creative experimentation!”
The collaboration is a great example of the community working together and underpins the importance of charity shops on our high streets and the positive environmental impact they make. This year alone Birmingham Hospice shops have either sold or recycled 581 tonnes of textiles, saving 7.8m tonnes of CO2 emissions.
You can see the students designs in store from now until mid-August.
For tickets or information about the Reloved Brum fashion show on 5th June, email Ed, the store manager, at ed.blackwell@birminghamhospice.org.uk or pop into the store at 48-50 High Street, Harborne, B17 9NE.
