Supermodel Erin O'Connor praises Wolverhampton teens' upcycled catwalk creations

Teenagers who transformed unwanted clothes into catwalk-ready fashion have won praise from supermodel Erin O'Connor after showcasing their creations at a Wolverhampton fashion show.

More than 100 students presented original designs made from donated and pre-loved garments at the event at Wolverhampton's Mander Centre.

The winning outfit, created by Sebastian and Railijs, both 13, and Lucian, 14, featured a grey blazer decorated with colourful upcycled materials including plastic bottle caps, fabric scraps, ribbons and patterned textiles.

The teenagers spent a month transforming discarded clothing through sewing, repair and redesign before taking to the runway to present their creations.

O'Connor, originally from the Brownshill area of Walsall, who has walked for Prada, Chanel and Alexander McQueen, returned to her home region to judge the show, assessing the creativity and transformation of the outfits and sharing tips with students on how to walk the runway.

"It was a privilege to be part of the event and to see first hand the creativity, passion and innovation shown by young people from my local area," she said.

"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."

Railijs said he was "surprised" but "very happy" that his team had come first.

"All the things we added to the outfit represent how polluted the world is," he said.

"I'm thinking about whether I'd like to become a designer in the future."

The event was run by social enterprise Reinvntd Community Interest Company (CIC) with support from Save the Children's Young People Climate Fund.

A Save the Children ambassador for 15 years, O'Connor said the charity's work supporting children in the UK and around the world was "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," she added.

Maya Patel, founder and director of Reinvntd CIC, said the project was "so much more than fashion".

"We've seen students go from not knowing how to thread a needle or sew on a button to creating more than 30 amazing upcycled garments and confidently showcasing their work on a public catwalk," she said.

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