Kingston-based non-profit to celebrate south west London’s fashion heritage with fashion show at Waterloo Station
The catwalk is coming to one of Britain's busiest train stations in celebration of south west London's fashion heritage.
Kingston-based non-profit, The Community Brain (TCB), is hosting the event with help from Railway 200, bringing its 60 Years of Fashion in Kingston project to the capital for the first time.
Titled 200 Years of Fashion at Waterloo Station, this latest event showcases the evolution of the nation's attire over the last two centuries, progressing from the 1820s to the present day.
It aims to celebrate not only how fashion has evolved alongside railway history, but also the creative community spirit that continues to power both.
The unique, immersive event will see Waterloo Station's main concourse come alive on the morning of 17 September, with each decade being represented by an outfit worn by one of 20 models, made up of volunteers from South Western Railway (SWR), Network Rail, and the wider community.
Depictions of travelwear from 1820 to 1960 will be sourced from Sheffield-based business, Molly Limpet's Costume Hire, while the looks from the 1970s onwards are being curated from charity shops.
Era-appropriate luggage and bags will be used alongside these contributions to create the most historically authentic depictions of Britain's travellers as possible.
Other props, such as umbrellas, walking sticks, hats, gloves, and more have been collected from Waterloo's lost property, repurposing previously-forgotten belongings to help bring an authentic added touch of glamour to the day.
Community Brain)
200 Years of Fashion at Waterloo Station will also feature live music, including the public debut of a new song written for the event courtesy of Kingston's Our Lady Immaculate Primary School choir.
They will be joined by Luther and Buddy of the Eel Pie Two, playing a variety of popular vintage rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, country, and skiffle, topped off with a little jazz.
Robin Hutchinson, Director at The Community Brain said: "We are delighted to be part of the nationwide celebrations 'Railway 200' marking the astonishing impact rail has had since 1825. Sometimes it's hard to grasp what two centuries of time means but the massive changes in fashion can help visualise it.
"After a year of celebrating the glamour of our little corner of London, it only felt right to bring some of that spirit to our neighbours in London itself."
"We have spent 2025 shedding light on the impressive achievements of Kingston School of Art's students within the fashion industry. We are excited to bring some historic glamour to Waterloo Station, and we can't wait to share the fascinating history of travel fashion with its passengers this September."
Timings
- 9:30am — 10 models will be photographed catwalk-style in an Arterio train, the latest addition to SWR's fleet of rolling stock
- 10:30am — Our Lady Immaculate Primary School choir performs a song written for the event
- 10:50am — Photocall
- 11am — first fashion show starts
- 12pm — live music from Eel Pie Duo
- 1pm — second fashion show starts
- 1:30pm — live music from Eel Pie Duo
- 2:30pm — end of event
You can find more information about the event here.
Further details regarding the Railway 200 anniversary celebrations can be found here.
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