Ulster University fashion students get seriously creative with woollen waste

Ulster University fashion students have unveiled a creative new exhibition in Belfast’s Victoria Square.

The Off-Cuts x Victoria Square exhibition, which is now in situ on the lower ground floor of the mall, is a collaborative project between Textile Art Design and Fashion students at Ulster University in Belfast, luxury fashion manufacturer Alex Begg & Co in Scotland and social enterprise, Nomad SLT.

Over the last few months, students from Ulster University’s BA (Hons) in Textile Art, Design and Fashion and MSc in Fashion and Textile Retail Management courses have taken part in a series of practical workshops, upcycling fabric off-cuts from major fashion houses to design and make a range of their own unique, quirky, textile creations.

The collaborative project has made use of 8000 metres of waste tape and yarn to create high-quality fashion pieces, interior and art items.

Some of the students’ work is now on display in the exhibition, which will remain in situ at the shopping complex until mid-June.

Commenting on the new installation, Michelle Greeves, centre manager, Victoria Square said: “We are passionate about using our public spaces in Victoria Square to provide a platform to showcase local, creative talent. We are proud to support Ulster University fashion students in this project, which is one of many community led initiatives we will be supporting this year.”

Dean Liggett, fashion lecturer at Ulster University said: “Sustainability is an increasingly important consideration for the fashion industry. It has been so heartening to see how passionately our students have approached this project, which fills us with hope that our next generation of fashion designers will lead the way in sustainable fashion practices.”

Maureen Collins, lecturer in fashion and textile designs added: “Through collaborations like this with Victoria Square – we can repurpose waste materials to make something beautiful, giving a new lease of life to fabrics that would otherwise have gone to landfill.”

In addition to the Victoria Square exhibition, creations made as part of the Off-Cuts project will also feature in the Belfast School of Art’s BA Hons Textile Art, Design and Fashion final year fashion show.

This takes place on Thursday June 1 at the new Ulster University Belfast Campus.