RGS fashionistas turn rags into runway riches

RGS fashionistas turn rags into runway riches

RIPON Grammar School designers are weaving their magic with rags to riches creations as they turn pre-loved clothes and everyday waste into catwalk couture for a charity fashion show.

Around 30 budding designers from RGS are preparing to showcase their creativity in a fashion show featuring outfits made from recycled materials, including crisp packets, plastic shopping bags, paper and card.

The Cat Walked Charity Fashion Show, organised by the school’s Rip It Up! Textiles & Fashion Club, will take place on Thursday, December 3, raising money for St Michael’s Hospice and new textile equipment for the school’s design and technology department.

Students from Years 7 to 13 have been involved, transforming good-quality second-hand clothes destined for textile recycling into new outfits, alongside creating original T-shirt designs and developing their ideas through fashion illustration.

The club has also received donations of materials from teachers, an upholstery company in Harrogate and a Ripon shop, which donated velvet in addition to mannequins purchased by the student council.

Design technology teacher Lizzie Goddard, who founded the club in 2025 with support from Friends of RGS, said she wanted to inspire students to explore fashion while thinking more sustainably about their choices.

“I have always tried to be mindful of recycling and sustainability issues in my subject, design and technology, and have loved making and following fashion for years,” she said.

“So I really wanted to start a club that could inspire the students to create and be proactive with their fashion choices.”

The club received a further boost in 2026 through a grant from Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP), supporting its creative work and the development of textile design at the school.

Miss Goddard said she was looking forward to seeing the students’ creations take to the catwalk.

“We are all so excited about the show and I cannot wait for the students to be able to showcase their amazing designs,” she said. “Our designers have so much talent. I am very proud of them and their dedication to their work.”

Some students will model their own creations, while others have designed outfits for fellow pupils or teachers.

The evening will also feature a fashion auction, a pop-up shop selling a selection of pre-loved clothes, art exhibits, mocktails and couture canapés.

St Michael’s Hospice has been a particularly important supporter of the project, with the team at its Ripon shop, including managers Heather and Christine, encouraging the students and their ambitions.

The club meets on Monday lunchtimes and after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays, welcoming students interested in fashion, textiles, upcycling and sustainable design.

Miss Goddard hopes the event will be an energetic and fun celebration of the students’ work, while raising money for two worthwhile causes.

*RGS main hall on Thursday, December 3, 7pm-9.30pm

RGS fashionistas turn rags into runway riches