Victoria Beckham & Simone Rocha Donate Deadstock Fabric To Students Via Groundbreaking Initiative

Twenty-four brands – including Simone Rocha, Roksanda, Paul Smith and Victoria Beckham – are donating thousands of metres of deadstock and unwanted fabric, as well as trims, embellishments and fastenings, to 33 colleges around the UK. The Student Fabric Initiative, spearheaded by the British Fashion Council and with delivery costs paid for by Burberry, aims to support fashion students, who have been working in restrained and isolating circumstances during the pandemic, and to put sustainability at the heart of curriculums going forward.

The community spirit at the heart of the project sees eco-minded brands, such as Gabriela Hearst and Phoebe English, join forces with emerging designers, including Bianca Saunders and Charlotte Knowles who are only a few years ahead of the students themselves; heritage labels, from Barbour to Begg & Co; and high-street giant River Island, to pave the way for a greener fashion future. With support from journalist Charlie Porter and former Sibling director and all-round fashion facilitator Cozette McCreery, who have been instrumental at ensuring the process is as seamless as possible; Matchesfashion.com, who are helping with fabric pick-ups; and Fora, a storage space provider, the project is a sign of the positivity that can come out of a challenging time for the industry. Burberry, who piloted the scheme via its ReBurberry Fabric Initiative, has been laying the groundwork since last year.

Porter, who is a visiting lecturer on the BA Fashion course at the University of Westminster, has seen the significant impact of donations first hand: “Last year, one of the students I taught was Steven Stokey-Daley, who received fabric for his final collection from Alexander McQueen. The donation was truly life changing for him, and it made me want to see what more the fashion industry could do, not just for students in London, but for those studying around the country. It has been so incredible to see the industry come together, hopefully setting a benchmark for a new way of giving back to students for years to come.”

When the news breaks today students, from Central Saint Martins to Falmouth University, will be buoyed by the knowledge that they can inject their BA graduate collections with Craig Green’s innovative textiles and Halpern’s glitter-strewn swathes (two more participants in the Student Fabric Initiative). With many more brands hoping to sign up in the future, the BFC’s scheme, as part of its new Institute of Positive Fashion and Colleges Council, is not only a beacon of hope for current student trying to graduate without financial ruin, but a sign of the industry’s commitment to nurturing future generations to come.