Platform One’s Sustainable Fashion team have thanked the Isle of Wight community for the generous donations of luxury textiles.

It followed an appeal in the County Press for good quality fabrics and preloved garments the students could use. 

During the first semester of the Sustainable Fashion degree programme, students were tasked with sourcing pre-loved garments and textiles that tell a story.

The garments students design and make throughout their course will be from recycled, and pre-loved fabrics - part of a pledge students have made concerning the use of fabrics, and the need to place provenance on garments.

The donations for pre-loved fabrics poured in after university student Iris Little wrote an article in the County Press.

Iris said: “I would like to thank everybody who read my article about our exciting new sustainable fashion degree here on the Isle of Wight.

"As students beginning our ethical studies for this degree, we are realising how essential sustainability is within the fashion industry.

"We are so grateful to the community for the donations we have had of the luxury pre-loved fabrics we were searching for. They are beautiful.

"We will be able to use them throughout our degree course, knowing we are giving these textiles a new purpose, and potentially saving them from landfill.” 

The degree course has been written by Hannah Woodford, head of sustainable fashion at Platform One, and validated by University of Chichester.

It is one of the few places in the world offering such a course. P1 Wadhams has welcomed ten degree students in its inaugural year, plus post-16 BTEC students, at Newport's former Topshop and Wadhams building. 

Hannah said “We have been overwhelmed with the beautiful treasures that have been donated by the community. I would like people to know how grateful we are to everyone that has supported us with this project.

"I am excited to see what the students create using all these fabrics and trims. Ultimately we are giving these items a second or third life and that’s what the course is all about.”

Platform One is now recruiting for its second year intake in September 2024, for both degree and Post 16 courses.

Anyone interested should email serena@platformone.org