Telford Shopping Centre washed off the end-of-summer blues with a half-term showcase that focused on the latest fashion trends

Telford Shopping Centre (Telford) in Shropshire, UK, promised visitors some good clean fun during this autumn’s half-term holidays. From 23rd to 27th October, the centre presented The Latest Looks Launderette, an event that featured children’s arts and craft workshops, competitions, a charity clothes drive and an autumn/winter fashion showcase on clothing lines, as well as live models touring the centre with their laundry baskets and getting dressed in the latest collections right in front of shoppers. The eye-catching clothing line was more than a décor feature, as visitors had the chance to win all of the featured garments in a competition.
During the workshops, participating kids created playful laundry-themed puppets such as coat hanger families and odd sock characters, with Telford offering prizes for the best works.
While little hands were busy with their crafts, visiting shoppers could stop by Telford’s Sherwood Square to donate any unwanted clothing to The Severn Hospice, placing them in a giant ‘washing machine’. The charitable organisation is currently raising funds to open a new hospice daycare centre for the city and the surrounding areas, and the 600 donated garments will be sold through local Severn hospice shops. Telford displayed a ‘barometer’ next to its collection point so shoppers could see how many funds had been raised daily and event organisers were expecting to reach their fundraising target of £1,000 (€1,490).
"We’d like to thank all our customers for being so incredibly generous and going to the trouble of bringing along their unwanted clothes for our appeal," commented Chris Crane, Telford’s events and promotions manager.
"We’re delighted with the huge pile of clothes as a result. They are of genuine value and will raise funds for this wonderful cause."
Telford wrapped things up with a contemporary dance group performing a fashion-related programme on the Thursday for late night shopping (between 6pm and 8pm) and on the weekend between 11am and 4pm.