Creative students from Solihull College & University Centre have come together to support a fashion event to reduce waste, increase sustainability and gain meaningful work experience.
The Re:Vibe Swap Shop event was borne out of an idea from personal development coach, Ash Habib, as she looked to increase students’ industry experience.
Fashion students invited fellow students and staff from across the College to donate clothes which they swapped for tokens to put towards buying second hand items – all raising money for National Childrens Air Ambulance Solihull.
The Re:Vibe Swap Shop also encouraged people to upcycle and add customisation to their pre-loved garment. Fashion students were on-hand to add lace, bows and other extras to make pieces extra unique.
Visual Arts & Media students led branding, photography, media capture and event delivery, while Sustainability Ambassadors encouraged responsible consumption and took climate pledges from people attending.
Ash Habib commented: “I’m absolutely over the moon with the response the College community showed to the RE:Vibe Swap Shop. Staff and students donated so generously, united by a shared commitment to sustainability and promoting a circular economy. What began as an experiment, originally planned as a one-time event, quickly became something much bigger.
“One of the most meaningful outcomes has been building a strong partnership with National Children’s Air Ambulance, Solihull. Their enthusiasm to continue supporting our students through ongoing work experience opportunities is incredibly exciting and a real legacy of the project.
“The highlight of the day was seeing our Creative Arts students working as one professional team – collaborating with staff, engaging with customers and delivering an event with genuine community purpose.”
Luke Evans, from Nationals Children’s Air Ambulance, commented: “Seeing the outcome at RE:Vibe was inspiring. Young people are a crucial part of our future volunteer base, and this project helped bridge that gap. We’re excited to build on the partnership at future events.”
Fashion students Karen, Tia and Roisin felt it was really beneficial: “Some of these clothes have only been worn once. We need to learn to recycle, give them another life and stop wasting them. We have done a lot of work in class about sustainability and where fashion needs to improve. We already turn recycled materials into garments and need to do more. Our generation needs to lead the way.”
Plans are already underway to revive Re:Vibe next year!
