Upcycled attire in show ‘incredible’

Presbyterian Support Otago Shop on Carroll co-manager Cristin Waite is thrilled with the imaginative garments created by local sewing fans ahead of the charity’s fundraising "Runway Revival 2025" fashion show. PHOTO: BRENDA HARWOOD

iD Dunedin Fashion Week will run from April 1-6, celebrating 25 years with an exciting week of shows, events, exhibitions, talks and retail pop-ups. The headline events will be the two iD Dunedin Fashion Shows, to be held next Friday and Saturday from 7.30pm at the Dunedin Railway Station. Also busy preparing for its own iD Fashion event is local charity Presbyterian Support Otago’s Shop on Carroll. The Star chief reporter Brenda Harwood takes a look.

Presbyterian Support Otago’s Shop on Carroll is putting its best foot forward during iD Fashion Week, sharing an array of exciting local designs in its "Runway Revival 2025: Wear to Care Fundraiser Fashion Show".

Shop on Carroll co-manager Cristin Waite said the inaugural fashion event had started out as an experiment to see what community members could do with some of the clothing donated to the charity store that could be difficult to sell.

That included men’s suits, old-fashioned wedding dresses and worn denim, along with "a tsunami of fast fashion items" bought from online retailers.

"We had the idea of trying to rescue these items by challenging our very clever local community to come and pick up a bag of clothes and turn it into something ready to wear," Ms Waite said.

"The results have been far beyond what we had hoped for — we have had some absolutely incredible entries."

The community designers will have the chance to showcase their designs on the catwalk at the Runway Revival 2025 fundraising fashion show, to be held next Thursday, from 7pm, at Dunedin City Motors.

The show would feature outfits on three themes — "Wedding Dress Redemption", "Denim Re-defined" and "9 to 5 Re-imagined" — which would compete for prizes, as awarded by a panel of expert judges, comprising Dr Margot Barton, Margi Robertson and Jonty Blakley.

"We wanted to reward our entrants for the amazing work they have done," Ms Waite said.

The fashion show entrants can choose to keep the garments or donate them back to Shop on Carroll to be sold.

Thursday’s event will also include a charity auction — all proceeds from the event going to support the work of Presbyterian Support Otago Family Works with local families in need and the foodbank.

The Runway Revival 2025 show is sold out, but there will be another chance for the public to view the garments during a dress rehearsal on Sunday, 2pm-4pm, in-store at Shop on Carroll, 169 Princes St. Tickets $15.

brenda.harwood@thestar.co.nz