UCLan student is Crisis x Love Not Landfill Upcycling Design competition winner
A local student fashion designer’s work is part of a new unique range of clothing launched during London Fashion Week 2023.
University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) fashion design student Adam Gronback from Leyland is one of 15 winners of a national competition organised by Graduate Fashion Week and Crisis; the charity behind ending homelessness, and Love Not Landfill.
The range of 28 outfits were hand crafted by students at Graduate Fashion Foundation member universities across the UK as part of the Crisis x Love Not Landfill Upcycling Design competition, challenging emerging designers to give new life and increase value to second-hand clothing by upcycling into new innovative outfits.
"It is such an honour to win the competition and be appreciated and recognised for my work"
— Fashion design student Adam Gronback
The designers were asked to use only second-hand clothing with no virgin fabrics to create their looks and to ensure their designs fit three dress sizes by using inventive modular design or fastening types, ensuring there is a wider offering for every Crisis store customer.
Adam’s outfit, which was inspired by the lava lamp along the theme of ‘psychedelic renaissance’, has already been sold in Crisis’ Brick Lane store.
Adam based his outfit on the lamp’s wax shapes, which inspired an asymmetric patchwork kimono and functional overlocked seam trousers.
"I’ve since received a message from a man who asked me if I could work with him to design and make a jacket for him after seeing my clothes, which makes my achievement even better!"
— Fashion design student Adam Gronback
He said: “I wanted to create a relaxed contemporary feel, fit and look for any gender. I sourced fabric through charity shops that would fit my theme and colour palette that would then create the final garments.
“It is such an honour to win the competition and be appreciated and recognised for my work. It makes me excited to think about how my final collection will be perceived as it's something I want to be super proud of now, and even 10 years down the line.
“For my outfit be visible to the public and sold in store is amazing. I’ve since received a message from a man who asked me if I could work with him to design and make a jacket for him after seeing my clothes, which makes my achievement even better!”
"I love working with students and supporting emerging talent. The future is upcycling. The future of fashion is in the past."
— Industry judge Orsola DeCastro, Co-Founder of Fashion Revolution
Industry judges, Orsola DeCastro Co-Founder of Fashion Revolution, Patrick McDowell Designer and Sustainability expert, both GFF Ambassadors joined Georgina Evans Head of Retail at Crisis and Lizzy Woods Campaign Executive from Love Not Landfill to review the design entries and select 15 looks to go on to appear in the campaign and professional photoshoot.
Orsola De Castro said: “I love working with students and supporting emerging talent. The future is upcycling. The future of fashion is in the past."
Patrick McDowell said: “It's amazing to support the next generation of fashion talent and I'm so inspired by what I've seen."
Lizzy Woods added: “Love Not Landfill is really happy to back this competition and we’ve been so impressed by the amazing young design talent that’s got involved. Globally more than £12 billion worth of clothing gets thrown into landfill every year, so this kind of joyous, creative and inclusive use of what might otherwise get thrown away shows that there’s a better way of loving fashion while still being sustainable.”
"Globally more than £12 billion worth of clothing gets thrown into landfill every year, so this kind of joyous, creative and inclusive use of what might otherwise get thrown away shows that there’s a better way of loving fashion while still being sustainable."
— Industry judge Lizzy Woods Campaign Executive from Love Not Landfill
The bespoke range of items are on sale from the Crisis store, Brick Lane, Shoreditch, London, with key items being retailed within the window displays of the Finsbury Park and Camden Crisis stores. The outfits will then be released online at ShopfromCrisis.org.uk on Friday 10 March.
Graduate Fashion Foundation is in its 32nd year and continues to bring the latest innovative and exciting emerging talent to the world’s attention, showcasing the fashion innovators of tomorrow. Graduate Fashion Week takes place 12 -15 June at the Truman Brewery London.
