Glasgow students transform Communion dresses into couture

Students at Glasgow Kelvin College showcased their creations at the annual charity fashion show, held at Drygate Brewery, on Tuesday, May 19.

The show featured garments made by fashion and costume students, all inspired by themes of sustainability, historical fashion, tailoring, and contemporary fashion.

Each piece was created after months of design, pattern cutting, and manufacturing.

One notable collection used fabric from 100 donated Holy Communion dresses from Classy Rascals to create graffiti-inspired evening wear.

Other collections included surface embellishment techniques, pastel-inspired Dreamy Biomimicry, regal tailoring in 'Rich Opulence', and traditional 18th-century corsets.

The event also highlighted emerging young talent, with 15-year-old Gurusingha Arachchige Upunya from Paisley Grammar School winning the college’s school design competition for their dark denim and recycled tulle design.

The fashion show was not only a display of creativity and skill but also served a charitable purpose, raising funds for the Scottish charity Enable.

Sandra Thomson, a fashion and costume lecturer at Glasgow Kelvin College, expressed her pride in the students.

She said: "The show is always a real highlight of the year and a chance for our students to showcase the creativity, technical skills, and confidence they've developed throughout their studies.

"This year’s collections were incredibly varied, from historical costume and tailoring to sustainability-led fashion and bold contemporary evening wear.

"The students have worked so hard on every detail and it was fantastic to see their designs come to life on the runway while also raising money for such an important charity."