Cherwell Collective and our Waste Innovation Station Headquarters (WISH) programme are proud to announce that we will put on our second annual Sustainable Fashion Show on 1 October 2025. Titled Ripples of Change, this year’s event will once again be hosted in the elegant Orangery of the historic Blenheim Palace – a UNESCO World Heritage site. After presenting our 2024 show, Re:Fashion, in the same location, we believe that the setting helps illustrate that sustainable fashion can be both well-considered and luxurious.

Early Bird Tickets On Sale

Our show will feature collections where textiles are reimagined alongside innovations with non-textiles, including biodegradable materials, plastic waste, and other sustainable materials.  The goal: to demonstrate ways we can help reduce the Carbon Cost of Fashion. Fashion and footwear production account for an estimated 8-10% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally, making it a significant contributor to global climate change.

A collection by Oxfam hit the runway for last year’s Sustainable Fashion Week at Blenheim Palace

Oxford Hub for UK Sustainable Fashion Week

Once again, the fashion show will be the marquee event of Cherwell Collective’s role in hosting the Oxford Hub of UK Sustainable Fashion Week (SFW). Sustainable Fashion Week is a burgeoning series of events that directly follows London Fashion Week each autumn, highlighting sustainable practices for clothing, accessories, and consumer habits. 

The 2025 SWF theme, Fashion, Reclaimed, encourages individuals to redefine their relationship with clothing by embracing personal style, community engagement, and sustainable practices such as upcycling, visible mending, and secondhand fashion. These habits are all ways everyday citizens can participate in the circular economy.

Fashion week hubs are dotted throughout the UK. These are immersive spaces that host a variety of activities, including workshops, talks, and clothing swaps. Hubs operate during the main event week (Sept 27–Oct 5) and can be organized by individuals or groups in various locations.  Cherwell Collective will organize a series of events and workshops in Oxfordshire for the week, in addition to the fashion show.

Fashion Show Tickets Now On Sale

Early Bird VIP Hospitality Tickets to the 1 October runway show are available now on Eventbrite.   These tickets include the best seats on the runway and access to a pre-show drinks reception with live music, networking & nibbles alongside selected professionals and local celebrities. 

The VIP reception will include a professional photoshoot, using the palace’s beauty as the backdrop. Attendees will also be welcomed to enjoy a stimulating nature trail, organised in collaboration with the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC). VIPs are also given early access to Cherwell Collective’s post-show fashion auction, showcasing some of the most innovative pieces donated by designers.

Building on Last Year’s Success

Ripples of Change will build directly on the incredible success of last year’s Re:Fashion runway exhibition. Last year, WISH partnered with regional and cultural organisations, including MultakaOxford, Iraqi Women Art and War (IWAW), Oxfam, and Share Oxford to solicit diverse and innovative designs to walk our Blenheim Palace runway. The 2024 event featured BBC Radio Oxford’s Sophie Law as Master of Ceremonies.

A collection made by MultakaOxford for Re:Fashion Runway. Photo by Keiko Ikeuchi

For this year’s show, Ms. Law returns as emcee. Her captivating running commentary guarantees guests will be well entertained throughout the evening’s innovative programme. Over 10 local sustainable designers, including Oxfam, Oxford United Football Club, and The Ballroom Emporium, will show their collections. Reimagined discarded materials will be transformed into one-of-a-kind runway pieces, showcasing fashion that diverts waste and sparks imagination. 

WISH Seeks Volunteer Designers and Models 

WISH still has space to add one designer to the programme. The organization is also accepting applications for two additional runway models and encourages diverse local applicants to express interest as soon as possible.

Cherwell Collective Founder Dr. Emily Connally described the vision for this year’s show: 

“Last year’s Re:Fashion show raised awareness of the Carbon Cost of Fashion and was one of the cultural highlights in Oxfordshire for 2024. This year, we hope to inspire Ripples of Change in our community. Each choice we make as consumers, each act of clothing reuse, each piece of upcycled design is a drop – and it takes many accumulated drops to amount to a wave of change. Together, we become the ocean, an unstoppable force of collective change.” 

2024 Fashion Show Recap Video

Enjoy this video recap of our 2024 runway show, which also took place at Blenheim Palace.