EsproMinho Students Create Sustainable Fashion Collection Using Reused Textiles from the Braga Youth Centre, Coordinated by re.store

The Braga Youth Centre (CJB), in partnership with the brand re.store® and EsproMinho – Escola Profissional do Minho, will present on Wednesday, June 18, at 5:00 p.m., a sustainable fashion collection created from damaged textiles, such as worn-out towels and bed sheets from the CJB Youth Hostel.

This project stems from a challenge launched by CJB to re.store – a Braga-based company specialized in textile reuse through upcycling techniques – aiming to find a new purpose for end-of-life textiles.

Implementing one of its strategic pillars, Pedagogy for Change, re.store invited EsproMinho – Escola Profissional do Minho to create a three-way collaborative project aimed at raising awareness among students and the public about the need for more responsible textile consumption.

Over six months, the project was jointly structured, and students received training from external companies in areas such as Marketing, Sales, Logistics, Procurement, Product Design, and Human Resources, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive and enriching project with potential for continuity. Thus, next Wednesday, the Braga Youth Centre (CJB) will open its doors for the public presentation of the sustainable fashion collection created by these EsproMinho students, in the form of a runway show at the CJB auditorium.

This event marks the culmination of a co-creation project involving students from the Fashion Design and Communication Technician courses at EsproMinho, under the guidance of re.store – a Braga-based brand dedicated to upcycling and social inclusion – in a hands-on experience of circular economy, creativity, and environmental awareness.

Throughout the past months, students were challenged to give new life to materials collected at the Braga Youth Centre, transforming them into unique clothing items, resulting in a total of 28 outfits that blend creativity, sustainability, and the boldness of youth. In addition to the fashion show and a brief presentation of the creative process, the event will also feature the “Swappers” initiative – a clothing and book swap open to the community, where participants can bring items and books in good condition and exchange them for others, thus promoting more sustainable and conscious consumption habits.

Admission is free, subject to prior registration, and the event will be attended by institutional representatives, local partners, businesses, and members of the educational community.

More information and registration: Fill out the form here

About the partners:

The Braga Youth Centre is a Business Unit created within InvestBraga, with a mission to provide accommodation and work conditions that promote Non-Formal Education, Human Rights, and the development of projects focused on Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Citizenship, and Youth Associativism. It operates in the Braga Youth Centre, a successful example of urban regeneration led by the Municipality of Braga through the refurbishment of the Braga Youth Hostel building. re.store® – A Braga-based brand that promotes the reuse of materials and social inclusion, fostering collective awareness towards more responsible consumption habits. Since its founding in April 2020, it has reused 9.1 tons of textiles and accessories and remunerated its social partners with over €67,000. More information at: https://restore.com.pt/

EsproMinho – Escola Profissional do Minho, based in Braga, offers secondary-level vocational education with programs in Fashion Design, Communication and Digital Services, Information Technology, among others, maintaining strong ties with the regional business and cultural ecosystem.