I attended the AUB X Lewis-Manning Trust collaboration catwalk in May to see the work my peers and I had produced in situ as part of the Trash to Treasure II exhibition. It was a wholesome, fun and friendly community event put on by the Trust to raise money and awareness, and it didn’t disappoint.
The event was open to anyone, so there was a lovely mix of people and ages. It was to highlight the Trust’s work and what they do, as well as how successful collaborations can be and working with young people in a creative way.
As a BA (Hons) Textiles Design student here at AUB, we worked on designing and printing panels of fabric in colours of the rainbow, using material from Lewis-Manning charity shops. After our two-week group project was complete, our work got passed over to the Fashion students, where each coloured panel was transformed into items of clothing. They produced colourful shirts, trousers, dungarees and tote bags with our panels, which were lively and exciting.
All of this work then got modelled in the catwalk along with outfits put together by items of clothing currently on sale and display in the charity shops. After the catwalk, all the garments, including those made by us, went up for sale to raise funds. The catwalk was a good laugh, with great effort from the models and good organisation from the team. It was really nice to see our panels made into final, usable items and also to see the excitement and enjoyment on other people's faces as they enjoyed the show and the work we had produced.
This event was held at Mimosa Bar in town, which had a nice, cool vibe to it. It was a perfect spot because it was easy to get to, felt relaxed and fun and could fit lots of people! There were also extra donations to Lewis-Manning if you purchased a rainbow shot from the bar and there was a raffle after the show to take part in as well.
Before the catwalk began, there were a few speeches from different relevant people. It was interesting to hear more about what Lewis-Manning does, how they have grown and expanded, as well as their partnerships in the local community.
I’m pleased I went to the event and got to experience the sense of community and action that Lewis-Manning creates. It was great to hear more about what they do, and I have definitely become more aware of following their efforts and supporting their charity shops when I see them out and about in Dorset. It demonstrated the communal impact collaborations can have and I really enjoyed this. If you ever get the chance to do something similar, or support a friend by going to see their work out, I would definitely recommend it as a fun and inspiring addition to your week!
