SFW Hub Torquay Runday 2025 by Karen Anderson

Sustainable Fashion Week Hub Torquay 2025

A Look Back at Two Incredible Days of Creativity, Community & Circular Fashion

This October, Torbay hosted its first-ever Sustainable Fashion Week Hub, and it was one of the most inspiring moments I’ve experienced since starting Minycled. After months of planning, juggling logistics, and bringing people together across the South West, the event finally came to life and it truly showed what our community is capable of.

Held over two days at Hampton by Hilton Torquay, the Hub became a space where fashion, education, sustainability and creativity all met under one roof.

This blog is a recap of everything we built together the speakers, the workshops, the students, the brands, and the energy that filled the rooms from morning until evening.

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DAY ONE  - Workshops, Talks, Students & Community Energy

A full day of making, repairing and reimagining

Day 1 was bursting with hands-on activities. People of all ages took part in sewing, mending, screen printing, fabric upcycling and styling sessions. It didn’t matter whether someone was a beginner or experienced the whole idea was to create a space where sustainable fashion felt accessible, not academic.

A clothes swap with purpose

We kept the swap fast-fashion-free and focused on good-quality preloved pieces. It was busy all day people left with pieces they loved, not trends they’d throw away.

Exeter College & AUP took centre stage

One of the most unforgettable moments was the Student Mini Catwalk featuring:

• Fashion & Textiles students from Exeter College with garments made from paper, plastic, bottle tops and repurposed waste materials

• AUP third-year student Elynne, showcasing beautifully crafted conceptual designs

The creativity was beyond anything I expected.
Photos were captured by 📸 @spencercobbyphotography

The Green Talks: Fashion & Futures — our speakers

We were honoured to welcome an incredible lineup of specialists:

• Sophie Scanlon — WRAP UK (Circular design & recycling systems)

• Joanne Nudd — Textile Bio-Designer (Bio-regional and material innovation)

• Jessica Wiggins — Impact Coaching International (Purpose-led enterprise)

• Kalkidan Legesse — Sancho’s (Inclusive, values-led sustainable retail)

• Victoria Lammie — Fashion Designer / Researcher (Fashion archives & sustainable systems)

• Heather Martin & Emma Gribble — Arts University Plymouth (Circular modular design & natural dye research)

Every talk added a different layer to the conversation from textile futures to community sustainability to business leadership.

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DAY TWO - Networking, Designers & The Green Runway

Creative UK Devon supported our networking afternoon

The room was full  designers, local businesses, students, models, photographers and industry supporters all connecting, sharing ideas, and finding ways to collaborate.

Designer & brand showcases

We welcomed independent ethical brands and makers from across Devon and Cornwall, including:

• Claire Dunn Design

• Minycled

• plus emerging designers and student work displayed throughout the space

Each stand reflected the heart of the slow-fashion movement.

The Green Runway — our grand finale

This was the moment many were waiting for.

The runway combined:

• student garments

• emerging South West designers

• independent brands

• Minycled pieces

The atmosphere was electric  proud families, cheering friends, flashes from cameras, and a real sense of celebration for local fashion.

The show ended with a final round of networking and photography, giving everyone a chance to connect more deeply.

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Why This Event Mattered

For Torbay, this event wasn’t just about fashion it was about:

• creative opportunity

• circular thinking

• community empowerment

• giving young people a platform

• showing that the South West has real talent

• proving that sustainability can be inspiring, not intimidating

It also highlighted a bigger conversation we need to have locally:

Why do we still have so many empty shops when the South West has a huge pool of creative talent?

Fashion, craft, and local making should be part of our economic future.
Events like this are the first steps toward putting creativity back into our high streets.

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Thank You, Torbay

To every student, designer, volunteer, model, speaker, local business, and attendee thank you for showing up.

To Exeter College and Arts University Plymouth — thank you for trusting your students with us and bringing so much creativity.

To Creative UK Devon — thank you for supporting our networking and encouraging this first-year Hub.

To Hampton by Hilton Torquay — thank you for stepping forward to become our Day 1 venue sponsor at the perfect moment.

I still smile every time I see the photos captured by
📸 @spencercobbyphotography Thank you 

To everyone who believed in this idea, we made history together.

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Looking Ahead — SFW Hub Torquay 2026

We’re already planning next year and welcome:

• designers

• sustainable brands

• workshop hosts

• speakers

• creative students

• ethical makers

• local sponsors

Updates will be shared on the Minycled website events page.

Torbay has proven that fashion can be sustainable, creative and community-led  and this is only the beginning.