Used wedding dresses transformed into ball gowns

Used wedding dresses are being upcycled into colourful, embroidered ball gowns for charity.

The Mayor's New Clothes project will see volunteers being invited to get their creative juices flowing and colour the dresses in.

The dresses will be displayed in a Somerset fashion show and then auctioned off, with funds going towards charities Heads Up and Whizz Kids.

Mayor of Wells, Tanys Pullin, said the idea had gone "absolutely crazy".

Ms Pullin said: "I wondered what people have in their cupboards, they've got beautiful wedding dresses and they come from a really happy place.

"Wells has always been known for its creative initiatives and this is yet another project in which the whole community can get involved.

"There are no limits or boundaries to the dress decorations - anything goes. Whether it's knitted poppies, crocheted flowers, or emblems & designs painted directly onto the dresses, the sky's the limit."

Ms Pullin was inspired by a red dress created by fellow Somerset artist, Kirstie Macleod, which has been displayed around the world.

Ms Pullin wants to create around 30 dresses in total, with some themed around different colours and causes and would "love for them to be displayed in shop windows".

"The big 'pièce de résistance', will be a poppy inspired dress," she added.

The finished dresses will be featured in a fashion show at Wells Cathedral in January 2024.

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