Students prove that recycling is fashion-able!

Recycling is not only the right thing to do – it’s also cool and fashionable, students from Walter Sisulu University are proving.

Walter Sisulu University’s (WSU) fashion department will once again marvel East London’s fashionistas at their annual flaunt to be held at Hemmingways Mall on Saturday evening, 7 December.

The fashion show will see 79 WSU student designers showcasing their skills using eco-friendly garments by first and second-year students made from recycled materials to entice the crowds before an elegant flaunt by final-year designer students.

WSU fashion department technician, Sibusisiwe Nodada says fashion enthusiasts should expect nothing less than a stellar demonstration of the latest trends from the students this year.

“The inspiration behind the recycling project was borne out of great environmental concern. The aim is to present fashion as an art form for gallery spaces and ultimately to recycle waste material into reusable products,” she said.

WSU’s fashion programme is cut from a different cloth as it fosters a developmental approach due to its setting and the type of students it caters to as a comprehensive university.

According to Nodada, a developmental university puts the students on a better platform because the global aspect is taught, but the programme is also embedded in the University’s Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) culture which sets the students apart from those of other universities.

“Through the support structure at the university, students are well positioned to uplift themselves from the type of background they have,” Nodada said.

Tickets are sold for R100 at the entrance on the roof top of Hemmingways Mall.

With a minimum requirement of a matric certificate with a university entry, students may enrol at WSU’s fashion department.