A Runway Earned, Not Given.

Elsewhere this summer, a group of young people from Salford Youth Zone and Hideout Youth Zone in Gorton are doing something few fashion week participants ever do: designing and making every piece they will show on the runway, from scratch, using only reclaimed materials and clothing destined for landfill.

The programme, called Future Threads, is a NFC initiative led by Luke-Matthew Iveson, fashion designer and winner of the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee, alongside Stitched Up. 

Across six full-day sessions, participants gain hands-on skills in design, sewing, repair and upcycling, while grappling with the real questions facing the fashion industry today. 

Their finished collections will be shown on a dedicated runway at Manchester Fashion Week on Saturday 12 September at Trafford Palazzo, Trafford Centre: a fully realised fashion week moment for young designers who have genuinely earned their place on the catwalk.