Upcycling: how you get fashion from cast-offs

Since launching in 1999, TRAID has gone from strength to strength and now offers unique seasonal collections (see examples from spring/summer 2012 above) comprised entirely from donations Photograph: Traid

As with the outfit above, all TRAID's clothes, including TRAIDremade, are put together out of old clothes. We asked TRAID to track one item, in this case an old pair of curtains, and show us how they turn unwanted drapery into something a bit more snazzy Photograph: Traid

Rosalind donates her unwanted clothes and a pretty pair of vintage floral curtains at a TRAID charity textile bank in London Photograph: Traid

Donations are brought to TRAID’s warehouse in Wembley for hand sorting by a team of experts responsible for stocking TRAID’s 10 charity shops with the best in clothes, shoes, accessories and other products including linen, books and homeware Photograph: Traid

TRAID also sorts for its sustainable fashion label collecting damaged textiles to upcycle into beautiful new clothes and shoes Photograph: Traid

Here, the sorters have picked the floral curtains donated by Rosalind. They can’t be resold as they are ripped, but there is enough fabric to make them into something else Photograph: Traid

The sorters send a trolley of textiles to the TRAIDremade studio in Brighton every fortnight trying to select what the design team needs like denim, lace or jersey, but also working within the constraints of available donations Photograph: Traid

TRAIDremade’s Zoe Edwards gets to work transforming the floral curtains into a dress Photograph: Traid

Zoe gets to work on pattern cutting for a brand new item Photograph: Traid

The team collects vintage patterns and magazines donated to TRAID using them for inspiration and updating patterns to suit modern shapes and tastes Photograph: Traid

Inspiration for new fashions at TRAID HQ Photograph: Traid

On the shop floor at TRAID Camden, the result of Rosalind's donation and Zoe's hardwork comes together. Photograph: Traid

A pair of curtains destined for landfill have been upcycled into a gorgeous one-off dress and made without the use of child or sweatshop labour. Every piece is unique and TRAID uses the profits to support projects improving lives and livelihoods in the textile supply chain. Click on to see clothes from the TRAIDremade spring/summer 2012 collection Photograph: Traid

A model wears clothes from TRAIDRemade's spring/summer 2012 collection Photograph: Traid

Pretty floral peplum dresses, dreamy Broderie Anglaise and shorts lined in pastels feature heavily in the collection, all fo which is created exclusively from upcycled vintage, fabric remnants and textiles donated to TRAID Photograph: Traid

For more info, go to www.traidremade.com to find out where you can get your hands on the latest collection Photograph: Traid