Upcycling clothing contest for creative students

Secondary school-aged children (11-18 years old) are invited to take part in a creative competition to upcycle a piece of clothing, shoes or accessories. There are prizes to be won for the best entries.

Earlier this year, Chelmsford City Council’s Love Your Chelmsford programme launched a sustainable fashion campaign. The campaign aims to bring awareness to the environmental impact of repeatedly buying new clothes. The clothing upcycling contest is the latest campaign initiative being rolled out to promote extending the life of our clothes and saving them from landfill.

Upcycle clothes and win prizes!

The Upcycling Clothes Contest is an opportunity for fashion-loving students to show off their creativity in giving an old item of clothing a new lease of life. There are no limits. Entrants can create anything from a brand new outfit to a simple accessory. All they need to do is take an old item of clothing and transform it into something new and exciting. From painting to embroidery, the team want to see what skills can be used to make unique pieces of clothing from pre-loved items!

To enter you must be a resident of Chelmsford and aged 11-18. Love Your Chelmsford will require a before and after picture of your shoes or clothes upcycling project along with a description of the materials and technique that you used to create your masterpiece. Please send your submission in to loveyourchelmsford@chelmsford.gov.uk by Friday 30 June 2023. 

The most impressive upcycled clothing example will win a £100 Gift Voucher to shop at Glass Onion, plus there are 5 runner-up prizes of a 183-piece sewing kit up for grabs.

Removing the stigma of pre-loved fashion

Love Your Chelmsford’s sustainable fashion campaign wants to remove the stigma of wearing pre-loved “second-hand” garments. They have showcased sustainable shopping in Chelmsford’s charity shops, promoted ways to extend the life of clothes and highlighted clothes swapping events.

Upcycling clothes has many benefits. It reduces the impact on natural resources from buying new, reduces carbon footprints and enhances your crafty skills to style some unique pieces that no one else will have!

Encourage 11-18 year olds to showcase their fashion skills and enter the Sustainable Fashion: Clothes Upcycling Contest 2023 by 30 June to be in with the chance of winning prizes.