Event showcases upcycled and pre-loved clothing
The annual Ragtag and Textile fashion show returned to Kyleakin Hall, Isle of Skye on the afternoon of 11 November. Ragtag and Textile is a well-known local charity based in Broadford with a second-hand clothes and reuse shop, workshops and training centre. The Highland Community Waste Partnership – Skye & Raasay have been supporting Ragtag through funding ‘Make Do and Mend’ workshops over the past year and has also funded additional tutor time to support the fashion show.
The large crowd enjoyed a show of stunning upcycled, made-from-scratch and preloved clothing. Models from Ragtag, Kyleakin Connections and Kyle of Lochalsh Community Trust strutted their stuff with casual and formal wear, culminating in a finale of ball gowns and bridal wear. Among the outfits on show were a suit made from a tablecloth, dungarees fashioned from a duvet set, and a lit-up skirt created from net curtains. Students from the Lorayne McLucas Performing Arts Academy (LMPA) performed wearing earrings and upcycled clothing they had made themselves. And with this being Armistice Day, Trustees from Ragtag wore poppy fabric dresses they had also made themselves. The whole show was all an impressive showcase of the skills and techniques learnt by Ragtag students over the past year. The organisers would like to thank the many people and organisations involved for their support, and everyone who donates to Ragtag to make these activities possible.
The aim of Ragtag is to enhance and sustain the environment by recycling textiles – diverting this waste from landfill sites and creating new products using traditional hand-crafted techniques as well as reducing the stigma attached to mental health issues.
The Highland Community Waste Partnership is a programme funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and coordinated by Keep Scotland Beautiful. Broadford & Strath Community Company is one of eight delivery partners across the Highlands.
