Wild Thang is honoured to have created a unique opportunity for a young 16 year old City Of Liverpool College student to shine at London Fashion Week!
After an incredibly exciting competition journey, Wild Thang can proudly reflect on our incredible sponsorship collaboration with Fashions Finest and City of Liverpool College. This significant project culminated in a breathtaking finale at the Fashions Finest Catwalk Show, which took place at St Johns Church, Hyde Park, London on Saturday 17th February.
Anna & Freya Pre Event At The Venue
Amongst the highlights was fulfilling our promise to both incredibly talented 16-year-old winner Anna Gerrard-Longworth and runner up Freya Duncan who is also just 17 years old. It was a truly wonderful moment as Wild Thangs MD Andrew Dwerryhouse explained a little about the sustainable competition collaboration concept, Wild Thangs small beginning with the support of The Princes Trust and then had the privilege to introduce both Anna and Freya to the Catwalk to showcase their unique sustainable designs as the finale on the Fashions Finest runway, which truly captivated the audience and was welcomed with rapturous applause. Congratulations to Anna & Freya, on seizing this great opportunity, we hope that this was a really special moment in your development journey but also for you personally and remember that you could be Fashions Finest in the future!
Alternative Design On The Catwalk For London Fashion Week
Our partnership, which involved student-led clothing design competition, has been a testament to our commitment to nurturing emerging talent, supporting diversity, inclusivity, and highlighting our dedication to sustainability. As sponsors of the Fashions Finest catwalk event, we were delighted to play a pivotal role in bringing innovative sustainable designs to the forefront of one of the most anticipated events in the fashion calendar.
Students Of The City Of Liverpool College
London Fashion Week, a beacon of creativity, innovation, and sustainability, has once again lived up to its reputation. Our co-launched competition enabled students from City of Liverpool College to design sustainable fashion pieces, which were then showcased at the Fashions Finest event. It was an honour to create this unique opportunity to witness these young talents bring their visions to life on such a prestigious platform.
Andrew Dwerryhouse With Anna & Freya
The collaboration with Fashions Finest and City of Liverpool College has been a powerful experience, supporting inclusivity, diversity, and showcasing the exceptional talent emerging from our community. This initiative has provided a unique opportunity for young students to engage with the professional world of London Fashion Week, challenging them to push the boundaries of creativity and skill.
Wild Thang With The Team At City Of Liverpool College
The background to get to the point of showcasing those amazing designs as part of London Fashion week was many months in the making with Wild Thang's Managing Director, Andrew Dwerryhouse and ESG Manager Carrie Dwerryhouse along with the staff at City of Liverpool College creating a competition and then selecting a winning design and runner up to be featured at the event, offering an unparalleled platform for their work to be showcased.
All The Students Sustainable Design Entries On Display The City Of Liverpool College
Overall, there were 10 amazing talented student designers shortlisted to participate, they were given the brief to create a sustainable fashion design from concept to completion in just two weeks and we were blown away by the creative designs presented by the students at a showcase at City Of Liverpool College. This was particularly the case for the winning design by Anna, a 16-year-old with an ingenious flair for transforming repurposed & upcycled denim into a spectacular outfit. Her creativity and skill in design not only stood out but also highlighted the importance of sustainable fashion practices. The runner-up, Freya, also impressed us with her unique concept inspired by a 1960s lampshade, utilizing old upholstery fabric into a reinvented fabric dress.
Anna & Freya Pointing At Wild Thang Sponsorship Logo
The chosen students accompanied Wild Thang to the London Fashion Show, witnessing their design transition from concept to the prestigious catwalk as part of London Fashion Week. This opportunity was more than just a moment in the spotlight; it's a valuable learning experience that could shape the trajectory of their future sustainable fashion. It underscores the importance of real-world experiences in education, providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for any young student not only recognition but also invaluable industry exposure.
Solar Panel Install At Wild Thang HQ
Wild Thang's involvement extends beyond just sponsorship and selection, we are deeply committed to the principles of sustainability as a whole. At Wild Thang, we are working towards our eight stage sustainability pledge and have pushed forward numerous sustainability projects at Wild Thang HQ including our own solar panel installation.
Anna's Winning Design Live On The Catwalk
This commitment was mirrored in our decision to also provide special VIP sustainable goodie bags at the event. These bags featured products that not only delight and surprise attendees but also align with our ethos of environmental responsibility by making sure all products had some sort of sustainability connection. It's an initiative that reflects our broader commitment to sustainability, echoing the growing demand for eco-friendly practices in all aspects of business and production.
Team Wild Thang Attending The Event
Andrew Dwerryhouse Wild Thang MD commented ‘It’s never one single person that makes these complex and wonderful fashion shows come to life, it involves a vast array of committed individuals, so firstly Wild Thang would like to say a heartfelt thanks to Deborah St. Louis, Fashions Finest, and City of Liverpool College for their partnership and for making this event an incredibly memorable one. Their dedication to providing opportunities for young people and emerging talent and promoting more inclusivity and diversity is truly inspiring.
Runner Up Design By Freya Duncan
We are also grateful to all the students who participated, especially Anna and Freya for showcasing their talents and commitment to sustainability, this was one of the most rewarding moments of my own career and Wild Thangs smaller beginning with the support of The Princes Trust so I really hope this is a special moment in your life that you will always remember and give you the motivation to develop even further to realise your potential to become one of fashions finest.”
City Of Liverpool College Building
Carrie Dwerryhouse Wild Thang ESG Manager commented “Special mention to the fantastic team at the college for making it happen, while we were already aware of the wonderful work the college does for its students across the Liverpool City Region and given the very short timescale the College were outstanding. The College were fully committed to making it happen from the word go and created a full brief to the students and quickly created collaborations with a number of other local businesses which included Abakhan Fabrics. The moment we stepped into the theatre room displaying all the amazing sustainable clothing creations we were absolutely wowed and knew straight away this had become a very special collaboration between both the private and public sectors who all want to make a difference in others lives.
Pre Show Set Up And Preparation
At Wild Thang we also strive to make a tangible difference when it comes to raising awareness of sustainability, there should also be a mention of thanks to the venues both day time at St John’s Church and after party at Homegrown Club and of course the other incredibly talented and diverse range of designers showcasing on the day, other sponsors and collaborator’s especially Gordon Glenister who made the initial introduction to Fashions Finest and our amazing guests who joined us on the day which included individuals from both The Princes Trust and BITA British Irish Trading Alliance who are both doing wonderful work to support young individuals and promoting and supporting businesses across the UK and Ireland.”
Fashion Show In Action
In conclusion from concept to creation when we saw those designs on the catwalk this became one of the most rewarding collaborations in Wild Thang’s 28 years in business and will hopefully act as yet another shining example of our commitment to innovation, education, sustainability and all things ESG.
See below links helpful links to our collaboration partners in Fashions Finest and City Of Liverpool College, our important long term sustainability pledge and as aways should you have any questions or queries simply get in touch.
City Of Liverpool College Fashions Finest London Fashion Week Sustainability Pledge Get in Touch