Move over Paris, Coleraine is now the fashion capital!

COLERAINE’s not-for-profit vintage emporium, Hope and Gloria at Railway Road, have launched their first clothing collection.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Jul 2012, 08:00 BST

The Hope and Gloria childrenswear range has been created by an in-house team headed up by local designers and seamstresses Angie Kelly and Sandra Williams.

The first collection is a range of girlswear. A boys clothing collection is also planned.

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A grown-up range of Hope and Gloria garments will also be available at the Emporium in the not-too-distant future.

Prices in the new collection will range from £25 to £35 and all of the garments are one off pieces which have been individually hand-crafted and finished with intricate beading and embroidery detailing.

Georgina McMichael from Hope and Gloria told The Times: “ Even though the collection is only just officially on sale, we’ve actually already sold our first piece!

“A Canadian gentleman was walking past the shop with his father when they spotted a dress on display on the window which was just perfect for their only grand-daughter - a little princess who would love it, they said.

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“They were here on holiday and wouldn’t be around for the official launch of the range, so I quickly ran out to the workshop and asked Angie to finish it off by sewing its Hope & Gloria label in!”

Tucked away behind the scenes at Hope and Gloria, the dress-making workshop is a hive of creativity where these unique garments are designed and made. It’s also a place of opportunity for local people to learn new skills and hone existing ones through volunteering placements at Hope and Gloria.

Thanks to a grant from the Coleraine Enterprise Agency, the workshop is undergoing significant refurbishment, and classes in dress-making (class details and fees to be announced) will be launching in due course.

A ‘compassion fashion’ vintage boutique in the heart of Coleraine, Hope and Gloria sells pre-loved, vintage and vintage-inspired fashion, furniture, home-wares and accessories, with all the proceeds going to charities at home and overseas, including the E3 Initiative, OAM Sports Academy in Africa, the Sunday Food Give-Away and CAP debt counselling service in Coleraine.

For more information about Hope and Gloria visit www.hopeandgloria.org,

Related topics:ColeraineParis