Celebrating 200 Years of Charles Frederick Worth – Behind the Scenes at “Bourne Reborn”

On the 11th of October 2025, the Bourne Reborn event was held at the Darby and Joan Hall in Bourne to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Frederick Worth — the founder of Haute Couture and a true fashion pioneer born right here in Bourne.

As a member of The Bourne Reborn team, my peers and I from Stamford College hosted creative workshops in the lead-up to the show, helping bring the spirit of Worth’s innovation to life.

During the fashion show, I volunteered backstage, helping to steam garments, assist models with their outfits, and manage transitions on and off stage. Watching everything come together during rehearsals and finally seeing the show in full was incredibly rewarding. The short film that opened the event — telling the story of Charles Worth and his influence on global fashion — was beautifully produced, engaging, and inspiring.

It was fantastic to see students from across Stamford College collaborating — from fashion students showcasing their designs (including one of my own garments, inspired by

Charles Worth’s style) to photography students from Stamford College and media students from Paradigm Arts filming and photographing every moment from backstage to catwalk. The models looked amazing and carried themselves with such professionalism, and for many, it was their first taste of modelling.

Overall, the event was a wonderful experience. Working backstage and seeing the collaboration between Future of the Past and Stamford College made me feel proud to be part of something so creative and meaningful. As a designer, seeing my work brought to life on the catwalk was truly inspiring. It’s motivated me to keep creating, get involved in more events like this, and one day, hopefully, host my own fashion show.

By Scarlett Williams

Stamford College Fashion & Textiles Student