GLAD RAGS – SUSTAINABILITY IS ALWAYS IN STYLE

Meet the Fashion Designers

Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, South Africa – Fashion with purpose takes centre stage in Gqeberha as the Glad Rags initiative invites the public to donate unwanted textiles to fuel a unique upcycled fashion challenge. This bold and imaginative project, in collaboration with Walmer Park Shopping Centre and GFI Art Gallery, asks local designers to turn discarded fabric into remarkable haute couture garments—spotlighting Gqeberha's homegrown talent while encouraging more mindful, sustainable fashion choices.

To bring this vision to life, the public is invited to donate unwanted textiles, which will be transformed by top designers into show-stopping looks for prominent local personalities. These creations will be unveiled at a glamorous event and modelled at a public fashion show. In addition to these signature pieces, the same designers will each mentor an emerging talent in crafting trendy, daywear outfits from the shared fabric pool. It’s an opportunity for up-and-coming designers to gain hands-on experience while showcasing their innovation and flair. The resulting collections will debut at a private reveal at the GFI Gallery on 31 July and feature in the public fashion show at Walmer Park on 2 August 2025, as part of the centre’s Women’s Month celebration.

“We’re inviting people to donate clean, reusable fabric items and offcuts,” said Denise Roodt, Founder and Executive Director of Glad Rags. “This project is about pushing creative boundaries while rethinking how we treat our resources. Waste doesn’t have to be the end of the story—it can be the beginning of something truly beautiful.”

Left-over fabrics will be donated to local charities to produce limited-edition Glad Rags tote bags, which will be available for purchase at the fashion show. The journey from fabric pile to fashion show will be filmed by The Media Workshop Film and Television Production House. The final project will be released as a documentary-style series, capturing the behind-the-scenes energy, personal stories, and creative process that bring Glad Rags to life.

How to Donate

Donation points will be available at the information desk, Walmer Park Shopping Centre, in Gqeberha from Friday, 11 April, until Saturday, 31 May, 2025.

About the Creator
 

Glad Rags is the brainchild of Denise Roodt, Founder and Executive Director of The Media Workshop Film and Television School and Production House in Gqeberha. Her passion for fashion, her abhorrence of waste, and her admiration for creatives who see beauty in the overlooked inspired the project. Glad Rags celebrates ingenuity, sustainability, and style—and will be released as a documentary-style series after the final runway show, giving audiences a front-row seat to the creative magic behind the seams.