Cayley Cochrane, BA (Hons) Fashion, Edinburgh College of Art
To me this initiative means opportunity. It allows the designers of tomorrow to bring new life to the most luxurious designer fabrics, that as students we would otherwise not have been able to work with, whilst also allowing us to link our education and designs with one of the biggest names in the industry.

Luca McCarry, BA (Hons) Fashion Design with Business Studies, University of Brighton
This initiative was an opportunity to experiment and be creative without the burden of cost associated with using high-quality materials. Burberry’s donation allowed me to experiment without bounds. For an aspiring designer, it’s reassuring to know that luxury fashion brands are actively looking to support young creatives in the industry.

Georgia Bate, BA (Hons) Fashion Design with Business Studies, University of Brighton
I feel so privileged to have been involved in this initiative. It’s given me a further insight into the fashion industry, allowing me to set myself goals, with the ambition of being able to work with fabrics from such a prestigious company all the time. It’s giving me something to aim towards with my studies.

Jay Lenthall, BA (Hons) Fashion Design with Business Studies, University of Brighton
The most important aspect of the initiative is to tackle the environmental impact of which the fashion industry contributes to. It’s a fundamental change of how fashion designers work to not contribute to a worldwide crisis and ensure responsibility.

Leila Eskandary-Miles, BA (Hons) Fashion Design with Business Studies, University of Brighton
The environmental aspect of this initiative is one of the most important elements. Instead of allowing this fabric to sit and waste away, adding to the immense amount of textile waste, the initiative continues the cycle of creation by allowing young designers to create and experiment with more freedom than they may have previously had. If more companies were to employ this circular approach towards their own excess, both up-and-coming designers and the environment would benefit.

Olivia Shearon, BA (Hons) Fashion, Edinburgh College of Art
I think the most important aspect of the initiative is that the fabric has been donated to university students across the country – therefore the resources are being recycled and reused within the fashion industry and contributing to a circular chain.

Cayley: Fabric is one of the most vital elements within design. It is the base. This initiative allowed me to experiment – draping stretch wool and combining it with my handwoven and braided rope into a one-of-a-kind creation. In the future, thanks to this initiative, I will be working with a more sustainable approach, repurposing and continuing to use deadstock materials.

Leila: Having access to this fabric allowed me to experiment and be more ambitious with my ideas and execution, which in turn created a final outcome I was extremely proud of. The main idea of this initiative has inspired me to try and design with less waste as well as to try and use deadstock fabrics and other pre-existing materials more.

Georgia: Using the leftover fabrics as part of this initiative has really made me think about how I can be resourceful with my materials. It’s encouraged me to explore other materials to incorporate into my designs, which may not typically be considered as fabric. I have used 100 per cent recycled brown paper, alongside the Burberry fabric in my project. This programme has made me think about how I can use the fabric and rework it to make it my own.