Oxfam Bethnal Green & LCCA: Reimagining Outerwear Through Upcycling and Storytelling

Since September, Oxfam Bethnal Green and the London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA) have been collaborating on a bold circular fashion initiative that fuses sustainability, heritage tailoring, and creative storytelling. Today, students unveil their final creations at the Oxfam Bethnal Green store, where the collection will be on public display for one week.

Over the past months, fashion students have been reimagining donated outerwear — from vintage trench coats to classic jackets — using at least 40% of the original garments. In exchange for contributing two pre-loved items to Oxfam, participating students selected two outerwear pieces to deconstruct and redesign, breathing new life into forgotten fashion.

Rooted in radical sustainability and precision tailoring, the project challenged students to:
• Reinvent outerwear for a sustainable future
• Master techniques in deconstruction, repair, and reuse
• Engage deeply with the circular economy
• Infuse garments with social, ecological, and narrative value

Each redesigned piece features a QR code, offering a digital journey through the garment’s origin, transformation, and care instructions — turning fashion into a living medium for storytelling and education. The finished garments are now exhibited for one week at Oxfam Bethnal Green, with six standout designs showcased in the store’s front window.

This initiative aligns perfectly with LCCA’s spirit of sustainability and its commitment to championing the circular economy, giving students meaningful, hands-on experience of working to real-world industry standards through multiple live briefs and collaborative projects. Students may also choose to donate their final pieces, with 100% of proceeds supporting Oxfam’s global mission to fight poverty and injustice.

“This collaboration empowers students to see fashion as a force for change — combining creativity, sustainability, and social impact,” said Kelly Ann Saunders, Store Manager at Oxfam Bethnal Green.

“It’s about transforming both garments and mindsets.” This partnership reflects a shared commitment to reducing waste, promoting circular fashion, and strengthening community ties through creative reuse — proving that fashion can be more than style; it can be a catalyst for change.