Burberry has partnered with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) at London College of Fashion (LCF), University of the Arts London (UAL), to launch Reimagining Materials — a student competition championing circular design.
Rooted in Burberry’s heritage of craftsmanship, the initiative brought together emerging fashion talent and the brand’s creative and commercial teams to explore circularity through innovative design. The competition provided LCF students with a platform to express their creativity through guided review sessions, while gaining direct insight from Burberry’s product experts.
Over several months, 20 shortlisted students responded to a real-world brief: to reinvent surplus Burberry materials — including trench gabardine, the Burberry Check lining, leather, and trims — into original, market-ready designs.
Participants engaged in portfolio reviews, prototype critiques, and an educational workshop delving into Burberry’s legacy and design codes. A panel of judges from Burberry’s product, digital, and merchandising teams, alongside CSF’s knowledge exchange representatives, evaluated the final submissions.
Clara Gröning, a BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Development student at the London College of Fashion (LCF), has emerged as the winner of the competition. Her original design, along with nine other finalist pieces, was showcased at the Reimagining Materials exhibition at LCF’s Wolfson Gallery, located in the institution’s new East Bank campus. The final designs were also displayed at Burberry’s flagship store on Regent Street. In addition to a cash prize, Clara will embark on an internship with Burberry this autumn.
Reflecting on her experience, Clara remarked, “Burberry, to me, is very synonymous with heritage. I have always been fascinated by brands with a strong visual brand language and company code, because it is an interesting challenge to adhere to this whilst still reinventing yourself. I think that was my favourite part of this competition.”
The programme was supported by Burberry’s Early Careers team and forms part of the brand’s broader commitment to nurturing emerging talent. This includes initiatives such as its collaboration with the National Saturday Club and its partnership with The BRIT School.
“We are delighted to be able to partner with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF), London College of Fashion (LCF), UAL to bring this competition to life. With the support of our incredible judging panel, we were able to create a competition with CSF that really challenged the students to think outside the box and build circularity into a practical design brief. We were so impressed by the calibre and creativity of all the designs, and by how dynamically each student applied their design skills throughout the competition,” said Helen Davis, VP of Product Strategy at Burberry and member of the judging panel.
Professor Dilys Williams, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, added:
“The Reimagining Materials Competition is a magnificent manifestation of how relationships can create knowledge, skills, and capabilities that contribute to a prosperous world we can all enjoy. Relationships are formed through mutual curiosity, shared interests, and an openness for co-learning — qualities we have seen throughout the phases of the competition, clearly embodied in the thoughtful circular designs of our finalists and winner.”
Initiatives such as Reimagining Materials are instrumental in steering the fashion industry towards a more sustainable future. By connecting academic research with practical application, they equip emerging designers to critically engage with resource efficiency, waste reduction, and circular design. These collaborations cultivate innovation and accountability early in the creative process, embedding sustainability into the foundation of evolving business models. Through such visionary programmes, the industry advances towards a regenerative, inclusive, and environmentally conscious future.
