Fashion design students from The Northern School of Art partnered with Teesside Hospice to transform community-donated secondhand clothing into runway outfits, staging a charity fashion show at the hospice's superstore on September 26. The event served as the finale of Teesside Hospice's "Second Hand September" campaign, which challenges people to go 30 days without buying new clothes, opting instead for secondhand purchases or upcycling.

Key Points

  • On September 26, Northern School of Art students walked the runway at the Teesside Hospice superstore, with all outfits upcycled from community-donated clothing.
  • The event was the closing segment of Teesside Hospice's "Second Hand September" campaign, which encourages 30 days of no new clothing purchases in favor of secondhand consumption and upcycling.
  • Ticket revenue and sales from the evening will fund the hospice's care services; this marks the second consecutive year the two organizations have collaborated on the fashion show.

This project entered its second year in 2025. Last year, the two parties successfully held a runway show at the Northern School of Art's Newport Road campus. Every look that evening started with secondhand garments donated by community residents, which students redesigned and reworked before presenting them on the runway.

Participating student Lexie Howe said the fashion show went very smoothly and was the best way to showcase students' abilities, adding that the team felt proud to support Teesside Hospice. Fellow participant Mary Thomas said what she loved about working with Teesside Hospice was that it is a charity serving the local Teesside area, benefiting her own community.

Natalie Futo-Wallace, Events and Challenges Fundraising Lead at Teesside Hospice, praised everyone involved, saying the lecturers' passion, creativity, and dedication remain as inspiring as ever, and the students' talent is second to none. She noted in particular that what makes this partnership special is the immense care and enthusiasm students and lecturers show for the organization, actively fundraising and raising awareness on its behalf, and that seeing creativity used to improve the local community is a joy. She hopes this is the beginning of more collaborations and believes fashion and charity retail are a perfect combination.

Also in attendance that evening was Jen Graham, an influencer in the fashion and charity shop space, while fashion lecturers and staff from UAL posed for photos with the Teesside Hospice team. The core message of "Second Hand September" is to encourage people to go 30 days without buying new clothes and to embrace secondhand fashion, charity shop shopping, and upcycling.

Source: Fashion students turn donated clothes into catwalk creations for North East hospice · Originally published 2026-10-01