The charity ambassador headed back to the West Midlands to celebrate young creative talent ahead of Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day
High-res images of the event are available to download here
Internationally renowned supermodel Erin O’Connor MBE joined a group of secondary school students in Wolverhampton this weekend as a guest judge at a sustainable fashion showcase.
Raised in Brownhills in the borough of Walsall, Erin returned to the West Midlands in her role as Save the Children ambassador to support young people from four Wolverhampton schools as they presented their original upcycled outfits on a public catwalk.
Led by local social enterprise Reinvntd CIC with support from Save the Children, the Future Threads event took place at the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton on Saturday 10th October.
Over the past month, students transformed donated, pre-loved clothing using techniques including sewing, reconstruction, embellishment, repair and garment redesign. Each participating team began with unwanted items and developed them into an original outfit with its own creative concept and sustainability message.
O’Connor joined the judging panel to consider the creativity, transformation, sustainability and presentation of the finished outfits, and also gave the students some tips on how to walk on the runway.
Erin O’Connor MBE, supermodel, writer and Save the Children ambassador, said:
“It was a privilege to be part of the Future Threads event and to see first-hand the creativity, passion and innovation shown by young people from my local area. The future of fashion depends on its ability to become more sustainable, and it was incredibly inspiring to see these students leading the conversation and finding imaginative ways to reimagine and upcycle clothing.
“I’ve been a Save the Children ambassador for 15 years because I believe every child deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential, and the charity’s work to support children in the UK and around the world is more important than ever.
“Future Threads is a wonderful example of what can happen when young people are given the opportunity to develop new skills, express themselves creatively and make a difference in their communities. I hope the event also inspires people to think differently about the clothes they wear, including this Christmas. Whether it’s wearing a pre-loved festive jumper, swapping with a friend or upcycling something you already own, taking part in Christmas Jumper Day is a simple way to support Save the Children and help make a difference for children everywhere.”
Future Threads
Future Threads involved more than 100 young people from Wolverhampton in school assemblies, climate education and practical upcycling activities exploring the environmental and social impact of fast fashion.
The project also created opportunities for students beyond designing and making garments. Young people produced climate-awareness posters, developed speeches and prepared to represent their schools during the event.
The event brought together students, families, schools, businesses and community organisations to celebrate young people’s creativity and encourage conversations about clothing waste, climate action and the future of fashion.
During the showcase students introduced the outfits on stage, explained how they transformed the original clothing and shared the ideas and environmental messages behind each design.
The winning outfit featured a grey blazer grey blazer embellished with colourful upcycled materials, including plastic bottle caps, fabric scraps, ribbons and vibrant patterned textiles. It was created by three students: Sebastian and Railijs, both 13, and Lucian, 14.
Speaking about his winning design, Railijs, 13, who also modelled the outfit, said:
“I was surprised but very happy that we came first. All the things we added to the outfit represent how polluted the world is. I’m thinking about whether I’d like to become a designer in the future.”
He added: “It was very exciting to model in the show. When I was up on stage, all my thoughts disappeared.”
Future Threads was made possible due to support from Save the Children, through its Young People Climate Fund, which is funded by QBE and empowers young people to take action on climate issues affecting children around the world.
This is alongside the support of Wolverhampton BID, the University of Wolverhampton, participating schools, local clothing donors, community partners and volunteers.
Maya Patel, Founder and Director of Reinvntd CIC, said:
“Future Threads has been absolutely incredible. To see Wolverhampton come together to celebrate our young people’s creativity, talent and achievements has been such a proud and emotional moment. We’ve seen students go from not knowing how to thread a needle or sew on a button to creating over 30 amazing upcycled garments and confidently showcasing their work on a public catwalk.
"This project has been about so much more than fashion. It’s about equipping young people with practical life skills, inspiring them to think differently about clothing and empowering them to be part of the solution to the climate crisis.
"None of this would have been possible without Save the Children believing in our vision and giving us the opportunity to bring it to life. The response from schools, families, businesses and the wider community has been overwhelming, and I truly hope this is just the beginning of Future Threads. Our young people deserve more opportunities like this.”
Save the Children Ambassador
O’Connor, whose distinguished career has seen her walk the runway for some of the world’s most renowned fashion houses, including Prada, Gucci, Chanel and Alexander McQueen, has been a Save the Children ambassador since 2011.
Over the years, she has supported a range of the charity’s campaigns and appeals, including Fashion Saves Lives, emergency response fundraising efforts and Christmas Jumper Day, including appearing in the 2020 ‘Christmas Jumper Day at Home’ photo series.
Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day
Christmas Jumper Day returns for its fifteenth year on Thursday 10th December. The festive fundraiser sees schools, workplaces and groups of friends and families adorn themselves in their wackiest woolies for the day, whilst raising money for Save the Children.
Since launching in 2012, Christmas Jumper Day has raised over £42 million to help transform the lives of children both in the UK and around the world to stay safe, healthy and learning.
Save the Children encourages everyone to take part in Christmas Jumper Day in a sustainable way, whether it’s wearing a pre-loved festive knit, swapping jumpers with a friend, or getting creative and transforming an old jumper into something new.
For more details on how to sign-up, visit christmasjumperday.org.
Notes to Editors
For press enquiries please contact:
- Lyndsey White / [email protected]
- [email protected] / 020 7012 6841
About Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day
Christmas Jumper Day is one of Save the Children's biggest annual fundraising events. It's been going since 2012.
Every December we ask schools, workplaces, and community and friend groups to put on a Christmas jumper and donate whatever they can afford. And every year, millions of you join us in making the world better in a sweater.
By taking part this year, you can help support kids and families who are having to deal with an increasingly volatile world. We'll use the money raised on Christmas Jumper Day to help children in the UK and all around the world stay safe, healthy and learning - and change their future for good.
To sign up, visit www.christmasjumperday.org where you can also find the latest information about how to take part in Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day.
- For Facebook visit – facebook.com/christmasjumperday
- For Instagram, X and TikTok visit - @savechildrenuk #christmasjumperday
About Save the Children:
Save the Children exists to create lasting change for and with children. In more than 100 countries including the UK, we make sure children stay safe, healthy and learning, and change the future for good. We find new ways to reach children, no matter where they’re growing up. For a century, we’ve stood up for children’s rights and made sure their voices are heard.
For more information visit www.savethechildren.org.uk