Dumfries House students have played a part in upcycling curtains that formerly adorned the window frames of Royal residences Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace.

They have been transformed into seven one-off fashion pieces that will go to auction to raise money for the charity.

An idea directly from The King, students from The King’s Foundation’s Batch Production Skills course at Dumfries House, received the donation of surplus curtain fabric from the curtain storerooms at Windsor Great Park, where out-of-use materials are stored and repairs undertaken.

The cohort was tasked with repurposing a range of 30 different patterns as part of a bulk 50-metre delivery into a modern fashion collection fit for retail, devising a range of two styles of kimono that took 8-10 hours apiece to tailor. 

Cumnock Chronicle:

Up for auction will be four Delft Blue Floral Kimono Coats (three medium; one large), one Vintage Rose and Duck Egg Short Kimono, one Damask Burnt Orange and Teal Short Kimono, and one Bold Denim Blue and Yellow Damask Short Kimono (all one size).

Jacqueline Farrell, education director for The King’s Foundation at Dumfries House said: “It’s not just about making a collection to be sold, we hope this project will show what can be done with vintage materials in terms of repurposing and upcycling.

“It was a real design challenge for the students in how to make traditional styles of fabrics into contemporary, appealing designs. They have created unique garments that are really versatile and reflect a piece of history.

Cumnock Chronicle:

“His Majesty’s vision is reflected in his Foundation’s education delivery and he has always been keen that people of all ages carry on the handskills that are so valuable to luxury fashion, thereby allowing many of our graduates to gain brilliant jobs in the industry.

“It was such a privilege to receive the donation. It felt like Christmas morning opening such a box of treats for the students to work with.”