POLYTECHNIC West fashion students are set to launch a unique collection at the Perth Fashion Festival next month, transforming banners and signage into high-impact fashion.
The students have been working sustainably to "upcycle" cloth and vinyl banners, donated by local companies and councils, turning disused waste into dramatic silhouettes of artwear and gowns.
The designs are part of the SIGNature collection, a fashion project for the Telstra Perth Fashion Festival designed to promote sustainability in a new and diverse way. Kerry Banyard, portfolio manager at the centre for fashion at Polytechnic West, said the institute's workshops were a hive of diligence and creativity.
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READ NOW"Our students are working hard to transform these banners with a range of innovative methods," she said.
SIGNature enables the students to input their own design signature to the materials as a way of being more conscious of nature and the impact of the fashion industry.
"The project is centred on the idea of sustainability and minimising waste, and there is something meaningful about giving a second life to an object that is seen as worthless or lacking value," student Jessica Jones, who is studying an associate degree of fashion business, said.
SIGNature promises to bring dramatic and high-impact pieces with a sustainable edge to the festival's runway next month, transforming textile waste into high-end fashion for this unique collection.
Forrestfield student Georgia Cain is studying a certificate III in fashion and working with signage and banners donated by Alliance Francaise to create her SIGNature gown.
Ms Cain drew her inspiration from the way the banners were strung up and how they resembled the sails of a ship.
This vision is displayed in the dramatic shapes and proportions of her design.
"I thought of the banners themselves and how I can best create shapes that would compliment the brand," she said.
The project focuses on the commercial product and particularly a sustainable way to reuse commercial materials. It also aims to showcase Perth's young and rising talents.
"I couldn't be more excited; it's the first time something that I made will be walking down a runway," Ms Cain said.
Students will unveil their designs and transform the Perth Fashion Festival runway on Friday, September 18, at Fashion Central in Forrest Place. It is a free event.