Show Time at Cherry Garden

 

Cherry Garden School, Bermondsey, offers a creative and fun learning environment for pupils aged 2 – 11 that have a range of learning difficulties. After a series of successful creative arts classes Gail Weir from Cherry Garden approached Claudine Rousseau, a tutor at the London College of Fashion and fashion technician for the likes of Lee and Levi’s, and asked if she would be interested in collaborating on a special fashion project with the children.

 

Next thing you know Rousseau along with cult couturier Ziad Ghanem are getting the second year class involved with a range of techniques from appliqué to fabric painting and customization. For many kids it was a license to freely express themselves in the creative sense, one child used his hands, feet and body to produce his own exclusive print.

 

{mosimage}“I have to admit, I found the experience very emotional as I got quite attached to the kids,” Ghanem mentions. “The creativity on display was overwhelming and the catwalk show went so smoothly. The kids loved it and they really worked their outfits,” he adds.

 

Not ones to do things by halves Rousseau and Ghanem got top hair/make-up artist Med to work his magic on the children with support from MAC cosmetics and DJ/Performer du jour – Kurt kept those catwalk tunes coming. The show produced a visual riot of colour, texture, print – and most of all fun. Wheelchairs also got the make-over treatment and the children were left smiling from the entire experience.

 

Gail Weir from Cherry Garden School said: “I’d just like to say that thanks to the inspirational input given by both Ziad Ghanem and Claudine Rousseau the fashion show was great success.

 

{mosimage}The children at Cherry Garden School have severe and complex needs and often find it difficult to engage with abstract concepts. The fashion show was a great way to bring home exactly why we enjoy designing and making. We try to make all our lessons creative and fun but it was Ziad’s vision that helped us put together an ambitious show in which our children and their work was really valued.

 

The responses from the staff who had not been involved when the children appeared spoke volumes. Everyone could see how much this project enabled the children to achieve skills and the faces of the children while they walked the catwalk with everyone cheering made all the hard work worthwhile. They knew something very special was happening.

 

We’d like to thank Ziad Ghanem and Claudine Rousseau for all their hard work.”

 

The Cherry Garden School fashion show took place just before Christmas – on 21^st December. Along with family and friends the event attracted a good deal of press, plus a surprise well-known visitor – Nancy Dell’Olio, who turned up to lend her support.

 

 {mosimage}

 

Photographs by Jon Surtees from Southwark News 

 

By JoJo Iles