Fashion debut for dress made from surplus materials at Scottish PPE company

Lorna Gibson, a 20-year-old fashion student from the University of Salford, created the dress from unused materials at the Annan-based Alpha Solway factory. The company is part of the PPE manufacturer Globus Group, a market leader in the manufacture of products for the industrial and healthcare sectors.

Gibson, a University of Salford student and daughter of a power station engineer, said her aspiration was to help raise awareness of the low representation of women in industrial jobs.

Her creation will now be showcased at a graduate fashion show, with plans to possibly premiere at London Fashion Week.

She said: “Social expectations of women in the industry are somewhat blurred and outdated.

“My ambition was to make the typically ‘unstyled’ safety workwear more appealing. I was passionate about upcycling protective clothing in the industry to make it stylish.

“Although a daunting task at first, the firm, thick nature of the chemical suit material makes it an excellent base fabric when producing high volumes.”

Steven Binnie, Managing Director of Alpha Solway, added: “Lorna’s talent coupled with our quality protective clothing has resulted in an exclusive for one of the biggest fashion scenes in the world – something that, as than manufacturer, we could never have imagined.

“Innovation and sustainability have always been part of Globus’ DNA and Lorna’s Chemmaster gown certainly embodies that approach.

“With Lorna’s incredible eye for design, the opportunities are endless when it comes to future prospects.”

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