CAN was invited to salvage any reusable materials from the COP26 Climate Conference held in Glasgow, in November 2021. One of the main leftover materials was banners made from waterproof fabric, with various different graphics and text printed on them.
In order to engage users from outside of Scotland, CAN decided to launch a competition aimed at Manchester’s thriving fashion community, particularly for the city’s fashion students. We had a hunch that the waterproof fabric would make great material for outerwear, however the competition had an open brief and a cash prize was on offer for the best garment made using this fabric.
Molly B Smith, student at Manchester Fashion Institute, was awarded the £250 cash prize as the winner, for her raincoat which doubled as a drawstring bag. Georgia Valentine was a commended finalist, with another multifunctional raincoat – this time doubling as an inflatable chair! Both designers thought of innovative ways to create a new design out of the surplus fabric and came up with very useful garments designs.
