University of Westminster Fashion Design BA Honours student Sameera Kaur has been recognised at the Houses of Parliament after winning one of the inaugural Singer Sustainable Sewing Awards, celebrating creative design that champions circular fashion and textile reuse.
The awards, organised by Singer Sewing Machines UK in support of children's charity Barnardo's, challenged fashion students from universities across the UK to transform pre-loved garments into innovative new designs. The competition celebrates emerging designers who are using creativity to tackle fashion waste and promote more sustainable approaches to clothing production.
Sameera was named one of just three national winners at a special reception held at the Houses of Parliament. Her winning design reimagined denim garments through upcycling, building on an earlier University project exploring garment reuse and demonstrating how discarded textiles can be transformed into contemporary fashion pieces.
The awards were presented by The Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant, who praised the technical skill and creativity required to work with existing garments and highlighted the important role upcycling can play in reducing textile waste.
As a competition winner, Sameera and the University each received a Singer Heavy Duty sewing machine. Her garment will also be sold as part of a Barnardo's eBay Live auction, with proceeds supporting the charity's work with children and families.
The parliamentary reception featured an address from Mary Creagh MP, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Nature, who highlighted the significant amount of textile waste produced in the UK each year and encouraged the next generation of fashion designers to embrace circular design principles throughout their careers.
Sameera's success reflects the University of Westminster's continued commitment to sustainable fashion education, where students regularly collaborate with industry partners and explore innovative approaches to circular design, material innovation and responsible production. Recent initiatives have included the Eco-Ensembles exhibition, which showcased garments created from waste-based materials, alongside collaborative projects transforming food waste into wearable fashion.
Sameera said: “It was a pleasure to participate in this competition that celebrates creativity through upcycling. It was especially fun to be able to see the other contestants work in person and see the range of garments made within the same brief. It was also a joy to learn the processes behind everyone's work, and all share the same passion for upcycling. Thank you to Singer for gifting me a heavy duty sewing machine which will allow me to create more creative work!”
The competition directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Fashion courses at the University of Westminster.
