T-LEVEL STUDENTS BRING CREATIVITY TO THE HIGH STREET WITH HANDMADE TOTE BAGS

Students studying T-Level Marketing and T-Level Fashion & Textiles have teamed up to launch a creative retail project, showcasing and selling hand-made tote bags at Craft Coop, a local shop in the Windsor Town Centre, throughout March.

We visited the shop whilst they were creating the display, to chat to students, teachers, and the Craft Coop staff, about what the project means to them. Watch our video here.

The collaborative project gives students the opportunity to take their classroom learning into the real world. Fashion & Textiles students designed and produced a range of handmade tote bags, while Marketing students supported the project by photographing the products and creating promotional designs to help showcase the collection.

The finished display can be seen at Craft Coop in Windsor throughout the month. As part of the initiative, students are also working part-time in the shop, giving them valuable experience of retail and customer engagement while promoting their own work.

This hands-on experience allows students to see the full journey of a product – from an initial idea to a finished item available for customers to buy.

Alex Scott-Wilds, the T-Level Fashion & Textiles teacher who led on the bag creation, said:

“This project has been all about celebrating the creativity of our young local talent and helps our students gain a genuine insight into what it takes to run an independent creative business and bring a product to market. It’s been a rewarding journey and we are very proud of our first year T-Level students’ professionalism and product outcomes throughout the project.”

Kirsty Hoadley, Windsor College T-Level Fashion & Textiles teacher focusing on the 3D installation, said the project has been an invaluable opportunity for students to gain real industry insight.

“It’s been great to invite the collaboration between the T Level courses. I think it’s quite important for them seeing what they’re learning in the classroom turn into real life. We’ve had so much support from the Craft Coop in Windsor who have allowed us to come in and use their spaces so that students can actually get a real industry insight.

Our students are young adults who are still learning what it’s actually like to be in the real world, so it’s great learning for them to actually see what it takes to take an idea from paper and turn it into real life.”

The project highlights the practical, career-focused nature of T-Level courses, which combine classroom learning with industry experience. By collaborating across subjects and working directly with a local business, students are developing the creative, marketing and professional skills needed for future careers.

Visitors to Craft Coop can view the display and purchase the students’ handmade tote bags throughout March, supporting the next generation of creative talent while discovering unique, locally made products.

Thank you to the team at Craft Coop, Kirsty, Alex and Emily Moore in the Windsor College Fashion & Textiles team, and the T-Level Marketing team for their hard work and support in setting up the project.