Pupils steal the show with creative catwalk event

Creative primary school pupils have staged their very own ‘trashion show’ – showcasing their hand-crafted outfits made entirely from recycled materials.

Just over a month ago, Year 5 and 6 pupils at Blackwood’s Libanus Primary School were visited by volunteers at the Greyhound Charity Shop.

They spoke to pupils about the scale of pollution and waste caused by producing new clothes, and shocked them by revealing the staggering volume of unsold clothing donations they receive each week.

Inspired to take action, the children formed three‑person teams, taking on the roles of model, designer, and researcher. Each group was tasked with transforming textile waste into wearable art and writing its own catwalk commentary.

During the high‑energy show, models walked the runway in spectacular, hand‑crafted outfits while announcing hard‑hitting facts about clothing waste. The audience learned staggering facts such as producing a single cotton T‑shirt requires 2,700 litres of water, and that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions.

The runway designs paid homage to icons like the late Dame Vivienne Westwood, featuring her famous rallying cry: “Buy less, choose well, make it last.”

Every child’s design carried a powerful message, including bold slogans demanding an end to mindless consumerism.

The innovative collection showcased a fusion of upcycled style and environmental protest, with striking outfits crafted from old window curtains, superhero bedsheets, and repurposed woolly jumpers.

Alongside creating educational leaflets, the children challenged attending parents to make a personal commitment to the planet. By the end of the morning, the school’s ‘Vivienne Westwood Pledge Board’ was covered in handwritten promises to “repair”, “donate”, or simply “think” before buying new clothes.

The standard of design was so high that volunteers from the Greyhound Charity Shop, who acted as judges, will be displaying the winning costumes in their Blackwood shop window for the community to admire.

Speaking after the event, headteacher Nicola Williams said: “You can scarcely imagine the sheer amount of research, collaboration, and hard work that the children have poured into this over the last four weeks.

“They didn’t just design outfits; they absorbed complex environmental data and found a powerful, creative voice to demand global change,” she added proudly.

Ms Williams also thanked parents for their involvement: “Seeing our parents engage so deeply with the pledge board showed just how successful the children were in spreading their message.

“We are incredibly proud of our young Libanusians.”