Sustainability took centre stage at the STADIO School of Fashion’s Worn & Reborn showcase, where creativity met conscience in a celebration of circular design.
Held on November 29 at 012Central, a revitalised industrial space in Pretoria’s CBD, the event marked 30 years of STADIO’s fashion education and excellence.
The showcase highlighted the school’s commitment to challenging the traditional “take-make-dispose” model by keeping resources in circulation and transforming waste into innovative, expressive fashion. Students from various programmes demonstrated how pre-loved garments, production offcuts and discarded materials could be reborn as cutting-edge collections, proving sustainability and high fashion can coexist seamlessly on the runway.
According to the school, this philosophy came to life on the Worn & Reborn stage, where each cohort presented a sustainability-led collection celebrating creativity, responsibility and craftsmanship. Higher Certificate Fashion students unveiled their DECON/STRUCT range, created in partnership with Levi’s Africa and Clothes Too Good. Using 60–70% upcycled denim, the students transformed old Levi’s jeans and men’s shirts into sculptural, streetwear-inspired looks that champion ethical fashion and reduce textile waste.
Maryne Steenkamp, Head of the School of Media & Design, said the institution is actively reshaping how future designers are trained as the industry increasingly grapples with waste and overproduction. “STADIO has embraced circular design by striving to close the loop within our fashion programmes. Students in both the Higher Certificate and BA in Fashion programmes are taught to apply sustainable methods, including upcycling, to turn discarded garments and textile waste into new, innovative pieces. This project encouraged creativity through repurposing pre-loved Levi’s denim while promoting a more ethical and circular fashion industry.”
Second-year BA Fashion Design students also collaborated with Sealand, a Cape Town brand known for sustainable craftsmanship, to produce capsule collections themed Outdoor Luxe.
“It’s a fusion of functionality, comfort and sophistication suited to glamping and high-end outdoor wear,” said Steenkamp.
Students worked with production offcuts and faulty garments supplied by Sealand, reimagining waste into polished, design-driven pieces aligned with the brand’s ethos.
Steenkamp added that students are consistently exposed to reused textiles, offcuts and even repurposed shopping bags to reinforce their understanding of the full production cycle and the impact of reducing waste.
They also gain hands-on experience in responsible manufacturing practices through experiential learning with local CMT (cut, make, trim) manufacturers.
“In doing so, STADIO fosters a new generation of designers equipped to contribute meaningfully to a more sustainable and circular fashion industry,” she said.
The showcase also featured first-year BA students’ bold explorations under the theme Chaos vs Order, examining tension and balance through asymmetry, layering and sculptural silhouettes. Second-year Diploma students presented Soft Tailoring Meets Denim City Dressing, merging refined tailoring techniques with an all-denim aesthetic for a contemporary urban feel.
Rounding off the evening, third-year BA and Diploma students revealed their final three-look collections, the culmination of years of research, design thinking and personal creative development informed by global trends, cultural identity and sustainability.
Steenkamp emphasised that graduates emerge prepared to design with both creativity and conscience. Circular design, she said, is not an add-on but the foundation of their education. Through partnerships with sustainable brands and local manufacturers, students gain real-world insight into how responsible design principles are put into practice.
The Star
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