Blackburn Rovers students turn old football kits into new fashion

Blackburn Rovers worked with local students to turn old football kits into new clothing, keeping them out of landfill and raising money for charity.

Textile and fashion students from Blackburn College took part in the club’s Green Football’s Great Save campaign, which aims to protect football and the environment by upcycling old kits.

Second year fashion, film and media students from Blackburn College repurposed 25 used kits to make items including skorts, a bell-sleeved jumper and a bag.

Shorts were turned into crop tops, tracksuits were upcycled into jackets, and a bag was made from two pairs of shorts.

Film and media students filmed the fashion show on the Ewood Park pitch.

Daniella Slinger, textile and fashion course leader at Blackburn College, said: “The fashion industry wastes 92 million tonnes per year globally and almost half of that goes into landfill.

“So what we've done with this project is just take a small amount that waste that would have sat in landfill and take it apart, put it back together and create something completely new from it.”

Another student, Isaak, created skorts and a cropped top from a goalkeeper’s shirt.

Blackburn Rovers said the collection will be sold in an online auction, and all proceeds will go to a team for homeless, refugee and asylum seeker footballers supported by the club.

Yasir Sufi, head of commercial and partnerships at Blackburn Rovers, said: “It’s a win for everyone.”