Fashion / News
St Peter’s Hospice receives a makeover
Shop windows of various branches of St Peter’s Hospice were given a transformation this week for Valentine’s Day.
The task: to dress the windows using only clothes and accessories found within each shop. The window dressers were given free rein to express the chosen theme: some opted for traditional red hearts, while others went for a more classic black, white and red motif.
Two other window dressers chose an unusual but effective ‘Asian Valentine fusion’ style, incorporating beautiful homemade origami birds, created by self-taught origami student Ruby Jeans. Ruby said that she and fellow student Jayde Thomas had decided “to branch away from the more traditional Valentine’s theme” for their window design.
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This break from convention was hardly surprising as Ruby revealed her father “is a punk”, so she often adopts an alternative focus, and Jayde told me she had already been up-styling clothes and making her own jewellery before starting her current course. It was therefore evident that this pair were always going to choose “a different direction and perspective”.
All the young window display team have been studying a Creative Youth Network course in fashion, one of many programmes run by this organisation which helps young people to reach their potential. Most of the pupils said that the shop front task had proved completely different to what they had imagined, with some admitting they had been a “mixture of nervous excitement” that morning. Some, however, were more confident such as Zoe McAfee, who already had plenty of window dressage experience. With her bright blue highlights, Zoe buoyantly admitted she “loves fashion” and loves “learning more about it.”
Phoebe Langton-Beck, Creative Learning Coordinator at Creative Youth Network, said: “We approached St Peter’s Hospice for this event, as we have done for the past couple of years, as charitable organisations are very supportive of the work we do and generously loan their space to us for the day, for which we are very grateful”.
Despite the displays only being on show for one day, they were successful in their allure to the general public as many passers-by were intrigued by the designs and entered the shops to browse and purchase items as a result. All in all, it was a great success for the students of Creative Youth Network.
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