University News Last updated 16 October 2013
Fashion students from Birmingham City University's Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) will join TV icon Nick Owen as he officially opens the newest Birmingham St Mary's Hospice shop on 17 October. The shop, on High Street, Harborne, is the charity's 12th in the city.
Nick Owen, who is also a Patron of the Hospice, will join Hospice staff and BIAD's fashion students to celebrate the opening with a range of community groups, including the Birmingham St Mary's Hospice Edgbaston Ladies Committee. The Harborne shop features a new brand for Birmingham St Mary's Hospice shops and will set a precedent for other high street charity shops to meet.
The group of Birmingham City University fashion students will be will be on hand throughout the morning to offer customers to the shop personalised advice on building an outfit from second-hand items.
Fashion lecturer at BIAD, Claudia Huxtable said: "This is a great opportunity for us to use our creative skills while supporting a very good cause. We'll be using the latest catwalk trends to create looks to suit each individual customer and every person who visits the store can be sure that they won't bump into someone else wearing the same outfit".
Paul Hartill, Birmingham St Mary's Hospice Harborne Shop Manager said that customers should still expect great customer service and excellent choice and quality of stock, despite being in a charity shop: "I believe that every customer, whether they're spending £1 or £50, deserves my utmost respect and to be treated as a valued and important individual. Alongside our commitment to stock only the highest possible standard of goods, this will make our shop a place that customers choose to return to time and time again."
In the run-up to the opening, the Hospice has been running a 'clothes amnesty', which has asked supporters to donate not only clothes they no longer wear, but also to surrender any items lurking in the back of their wardrobe that were bought but never worn.
The Hospice's Edgbaston Ladies Committee has been supporting the 'clothes amnesty' and the ladies have donated a wide range of high quality items.
Lynne Malin, vice chair of the Ladies Committee said: "Fashion is in my blood. I run a fashion business for a living, importing and selling designer items from France and Italy. I see beautiful clothes all the time and have amassed so many over the years. Many of them I've never worn and the Birmingham St Mary's Hospice clothes amnesty has given me a fabulous excuse to clear out my wardrobe and do something worthwhile at the same time. I know that many of the other ladies on the committee are in a similar position."
The shop opening will take place at 10am at 53-59 High Street, Harborne.