Fashion graduate wins Amazon Prime series competition by creating catwalk looks from second-hand garments
25 November 2025
Credit: Vinted
When Fashion Design BA(Hons) graduate Chiara Corso applied to be on a TV show, she didn’t think for one minute that she’d be crowned the winner and showing her work at London Fashion Week.
Yet a week after applying, she was chosen as one of eight emerging fashion designers to star in RE/style, a six-part series in which the contestants competed to create catwalk-ready looks exclusively from second-hand items. The series culminated in the winning designer championing sustainable fashion on the runways of London Fashion Week by showing their collection at the Oxfam fashion show.
Funded by online marketplace Vinted, streamed on Amazon Prime and hosted by acclaimed presenter Emma Willis, each RE/style episode centred around a design challenge. The designers had to finish their creations within six hours by reinventing wardrobe staples and reimagining red carpet looks. At the end of each challenge, a designer was eliminated until only two remained for the final challenge.
Sicily-born Chiara won the competition by impressing the panel of judges with the way her signature glitzy style evolved into a more tempered, chic wearability. “Honestly, it all felt so surreal. There were nights when I literally woke up suddenly, convinced it had all been a dream”, Chiara tells us. “Featuring on this TV show was the most amazing and wonderful experience. I met the most beautiful people and such an inspiring group of designers from across Europe; everyone involved was very special.”
I had so much space (at Falmouth) to be inspired by nature, and to be as experimental as possible
Chiara’s designs dazzled on the catwalk of Oxfam’s London Fashion Week show; an event that encouraged people to dress for the world they want and embrace second-hand fashion. On the experience, Chiara says: “Showing my very first collection at London Fashion Week was incredibly fulfilling; a whirlwind of intense emotions in the best possible way. It gave me the chance to show what fashion truly means to me: to share all the beautiful, magical feelings I experience when I create, and to let others feel that too.”
Graduating from Fashion Design BA(Hons) in 2021, Chiara recalls the ability to be experimental as a real strength of Falmouth's creative community. “I had so much space to be inspired by nature, to be as experimental as possible and very creative due to the mindful connections I made with other creative people”, she says.
Sustainability and circularity are at the forefront of teaching at Falmouth and are central to Chiara’s design ethos. “My interest in sustainability comes from a genuine desire to make a positive impact”, she explains. “Whenever I return home to Sicily, I see how precious and beautiful the environment is and how important it is to protect it. Because I’m involved in fashion, I chose to start there. The industry already generates so much unnecessary waste, and I want to be part of the shift toward something better."
Chiara’s design practice resultantly prioritises unwanted, broken, forgotten, or dead-stock garments instead of using endless meters of new fabric. “It’s not only more responsible, but it’s also more exciting. Transforming something that already exists into something entirely new pushes my creativity in the best way”, she says.
This approach also encourages originality and self-expression; facets of her design process that really excited the RE/style judges, and which chime with Vinted’s mission to get consumers excited by second-hand fashion.
“Each piece becomes one of a kind, just like the person who will wear it, and in a world dominated by mass production, I believe in bringing individuality back into design”, Chiara tells us.
With the RE/style crown on her head and lots of new industry connections under her belt, the future is bright for Chiara. “Right now, I’m working on a lot of new designs for the festive season, and at the same time I’m creating commission pieces for a few performing artists. As a costume designer, my focus is on growing my brand and bringing my creations to the stage through sustainable and mindful fashion. For me, everything we wear is both a statement and a piece of art.”
You might also like
Game Development Writing graduate builds career in community management
Creative Writing alumna releases dark academia romantasy with HarperCollins UK
Sustainable Product Design alumnus on material innovation and returning to campus to teach
Meet the drawing alumna named 2025’s Royal Watercolour Society Young Artist
