A fashion shoot by photography students is helping to raise funds for St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth while preventing clothes from being sent to landfill.
First year students from Plymouth College of Art sought help from the hospice to do a high end fashion shoot, and the charity obliged by giving them free rein to the clothing rails of their charity shop in Drake.
To begin with the budding photographers, models, and hair and make up team had mixed expectations about the quality and variety of what they would find, but the experience proved a real eye-opener. Student Mi Kelly explains:
“Initially, we were a bit sceptical and weren’t sure we’d find enough high-quality items in a charity shop, but we couldn’t have been more wrong. Our trawl netted really well-made clothing and great accessories that with a bit of savvy styling looked fantastic in our photographs. It has changed my perception of charity shops – you can find treasure there!”
The students’ tutor, lecturer Carri Angel, was also impressed. She said:
“The majority of our students have grown up with ‘fast fashion’, where many brands promote cheap items designed to be disposed of after minimal wear. These students are the influential image-makers of the future so it’s important that we challenge them to be part of the solution to the problem. They’ve proved that second-hand in no way means second rate.”
According to the charity WRAP UK it is estimated that £140million of used but still wearable clothing is sent to landfill each year in the UK. The charity’s 2020 commitment states that changing the way we use and dispose of clothes will significantly reduce our carbon, water and waste footprints.
For their part St Luke’s are so pleased with the fashion shoot photographs they are planning to display them in the charity shop windows.
Shop Manager Julie Bickford said:
“It’s great that while the images are high end, the outfits sourced from our shop are absolute bargains – a whole outfit perfect for a new year ball for just £35! Just shows you can be stylish in a sustainable way, all while supporting a fantastic local cause.”
For more information visit St Luke’s Hospice
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