Sue Ryder joins forces with NTU creatives to stage an upcycled fashion show
The national palliative, bereavement and neurological care charity, Sue Ryder, recently joined creative forces with a group of students in the Nottingham School of Art & Design to stage a unique upcycled fashion event.
The collaboration, between Sue Ryder’s retro and vintage shop on Goosegate in Nottingham city centre and over 20 student volunteers from creative course areas, involved a group project to help plan, promote and stage the live fashion showcase within the shop on a Saturday afternoon this April.
A new range of upcycled garments, Handmade for Sue Ryder, was showcased to promote awareness of the charity’s new in-house label, whilst raising funds. The whole process was supported by NTU students from the subject areas of art, illustration, graphics, photography, fashion and textile design, and fashion marketing, management and branding.
Working closely with the shop manager, Sophie Stephens, the students helped prepare and decorate the venue for the fashion show. Roles included promoting the event, planning and styling the catwalk show and window, organising the soundtrack, photographing the whole process and even modelling the clothes. The event proved really popular with the public and took place on a catwalk positioned in the large window space of the busy Hockley shop. It was great to see so many passers-by stopping to watch on the street outside too.
Talking to the students after the packed show event on 2 April, Sue Ryder’s Retail Volunteer Coordinator, Leah Rubin said “I’d like to thank everyone for their huge contribution to this event, it has been great to work with you and we really appreciate your contribution to the fashion show. Your professionalism, creativity, skills and work are absolutely fantastic and much appreciated.”
NTU Creative Partnership Manager, Maggie Burnett, said “This is a fantastic example of creative collaboration in the city; it involved students from a wide range of courses working together with the Sue Ryder organisation for positive benefit and a shared community experience. Their creative talents brought this event to life in a unique and impactful way and the feedback from Sue Ryder has been great. Thank you to everyone involved.”
See more from the show on Instagram @suerydernottingham