At Front Lounge, creativity meets opportunity through Kindred Clothing, a fashion course at SCQF level 5.

Front Lounge’s 2025 graduates celebrate in style

This innovative program helps learners develop essential fashion skills, from sketching and pattern making to sewing garments and capturing them with professional fashion photography.

By combining practical learning with creative storytelling, learners build portfolios that showcase their talent and ambition, opening doors to creative careers in fashion and textiles.

Delivered by industry professionals from the Clothes Making Learning Partnership, Kindred Clothing offers hands-on experience and real-world knowledge, giving learners the confidence and skills needed to succeed in the fashion industry.

Celebrating learners’ achievements and impact

Ellie Fraser excelled in the Kindred Clothing course and was awarded a gold badge and certificate. Image by Mhairi Edwards/DC Thomson

Over the years, Kindred Clothing, based in Dundee, has supported learners to overcome personal, emotional and practical challenges while achieving remarkable outcomes. With a completion rate of 91%, 71 learners have completed the program, ranging in age from 12 to 64. The course also engages young people who struggle to attend school regularly.

Since launching in 2020, Kindred Clothing has expanded beyond Dundee. In Orkney, learners have completed the course both remotely and in-person, with 12 learners projected for 2026.

Inspiring stories from Kindred Clothing

Learners have experienced life-changing transformations:

Ellie Fraser was referred to Kindred Clothing at 13 due to anxiety and school challenges. She quickly excelled, demonstrating leadership and earning The Courier Gold Star Award. She said:

The way you are appreciated at Front Lounge, it’s unreal. You get encouragement. It feels good to know that I can actually do something. I’ve got a vision for the future now. I’d like to have my own clothing brand, and I have some ideas for it.

Ellie graduated in August 2023.

Rhianne Grieve, a young mum of two, took four attempts to complete the course. Reflecting on her experience, she said:

The hardest part in my journey has been learning to deal with my mental health. It took me years, but Front Lounge never gave up on me; they picked me up when I was down and pushed me on when I was stuck.

Finally graduating in 2024, she added:

My message for anyone who would like to take part in Kindred Clothing is ABSOLUTELY go for it! I’ve never felt more welcome, never felt so seen and never felt so heard in all my life. I have met many new people and have a lot of amazing friendships that will last a lifetime. Go for it!

Kindred Clothing has even created intergenerational learning opportunities. Kerry-Lee Lavery, one of three parent-child duos to complete the course, reflected:

I didn’t just learn a new skill and gain a qualification, it helped with my confidence, my health, gave me routine and structure. For the first time in a long time, I was thinking about the future. My son Jay was so proud of me when I graduated, he asked to do the course too. It helped him build confidence, routine and motivation. He’s now attending college, and thinking more about his future.

Jay graduated in September 2025.

Kerry-Lee Lavery with son Jay, who both completed the Front Lounge course

Expanding learning opportunities and career pathways

These success stories demonstrate the power of practical learning in a safe, supportive environment. In response to growing demand, Front Lounge became an SQA-approved learning centre in October 2025.

The centre now offers workplace core skills, including numeracy, literacy, ICT, working together, and problem solving -alongside Kindred Clothing. Embedding these core skills enables learners to earn six qualifications from the flagship sewing course, rather than just one.

On October 31, 2025, Front Lounge began delivering the National Certificate in Creative Industries (Fashion and Textiles) at SCQF level 6, providing a progression route for Kindred Clothing graduates. Delivered by industry professionals, the course focuses on producing garments to a saleable standard, equipping learners with the skills to pursue careers in fashion and textiles.

Becky Rawlins, a HNC Fashion Business student at Dundee and Angus College, joined the inaugural HNC cohort. She said:

I’m excited… because I want to develop my technical skills and creative abilities to a professional level. Sewing has always been a passion of mine and I really enjoy making clothes and working with different types of fabrics, and I can’t wait to expand my knowledge of industrial sewing machines.

Front Lounge will also soon deliver Personal Development Awards (SCQF levels 3 to 6), enabling community projects to act as learning platforms in their own right.

For more information about Kindred Clothing, email learn@frontlounge.org, call 01382 220330, or visit www.frontlounge.org.

To see where Front Lounge’s qualifications sit on the SCQF, visit our interactive framework.

Becky Rawlins is now studying an HNC in Fashion Business
Rhianne Grieve was determined to complete the Front Lounge course
Dundee students
Orkney students
Graduates celebrate
The 2004 graduates

Glossary Term

Authority

Appears at Level 12 only where it is used in the phrase ‘demonstrate substantial authority’, reflecting a recognised high level and depth of expertise/expert knowledge and understanding, along with confidence. It does not mean ‘exercise authority over staff and resources’ etc, as that could clearly apply at earlier levels.

Glossary Term

Exercise

Used in connection with management and/or supervisory responsibility, denotes a requirement of a formal, substantive role.

Glossary Term

Directive

Applied to ‘supervision’, signifies a task or activity that is guided.

Glossary Term

Graphical Data

Encompasses maps, plans, diagrams, tables and graphs.

Glossary Term

Synthesis

Combine discrete elements into a coherent whole.

Glossary Term

Analysis

Examine in detail with a view to explanation and interpretation.

Glossary Term

Present

Set out, put forward, deliver information using a variety of mediums as appropriate.

Glossary Term

Hypothetical

Supposed, assumed for the sake of argument.

Glossary Term

Straightforward

Clear and uncomplicated activity, but not as demanding or systematic and therefore not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Creativity

Often used in combination with ‘originality’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of creativity appears to be imagination.

Glossary Term

Originality

Often used in combination with ‘creativity’. There is overlap in definition, but the defining characteristic of originality appears to be independence.

Glossary Term

Professional

Used throughout as an adjective and applied to terms including level, skills, techniques, practices, contexts, and issues where it bears broad interpretation as ‘behaving appropriately/doing things properly and well and to notions of accepted, (including externally) prescribed standards’, as well as narrow, relating to a specific occupation designated as a profession. In this latter sense, the term applies in all contexts including academic study, eg footnoting properly.

Glossary Term

Unfamiliar

New territory for an activity.

Glossary Term

Routine

Used as an adjective throughout and applied to terms including skills, tasks, elements, practices, contexts, methods and problems where it describes activity that is standard, usual, unvarying, customary, common.

Glossary Term

Everyday

Slightly more advanced and beyond personal but a known experience/activity encountered/applied regularly - less advanced than ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Familiar

Often encountered or experienced; common; something one has a good knowledge of - more advanced than ‘personal’ and ‘everyday’, not as advanced as ‘routine’.

Glossary Term

Personal

An experience relating only or primarily to the person – one would expect to start here then widen out into the rest of the world, so not as advanced as ‘familiar’.

Glossary Term

Critical

Fully informed, capable of supporting in-depth analysis and assessment.

Glossary Term

Discerning

Using judgement to recognise differences but not fully equipped/informed to analyse and discuss them in depth, so less advanced than critical.

Glossary Term

Awareness

Consciousness, including a background consciousness. Can be a starting point for further exploration.

Glossary Term

Appreciation

A sense, perception, a hold, fix or grasp of one or more of the various aspects of a subject/discipline/sector.

Glossary Term

Understanding

A thorough and firm grasp of a subject/discipline/sector or an element or elements of it, derived from education/study, experience and reasoning in appropriate combination. Can be defined as ‘know why’, as opposed to ‘know that’. More holistic knowledge of processes and contexts, so more advanced than appreciation and knowledge.

Glossary Term

Simple

Undemanding activity not necessarily part of a formal structure - not as advanced as ‘basic’.

Glossary Term

Knowledge

Facts, ideas, theories and concepts in a subject/discipline/sector acquired through experience and/or education – a surer grasp than appreciation so more advanced.

Glossary Term

Basic

Activity is early stepping stone on a structure or framework that can be built upon – more advanced than ‘simple’.