Fashion built with Community, not just capital

What happened when we took the 'Petite Problem' into the classroom

At P’tit Affair, we’ve always said we’d do things differently and that includes how we build this brand.

So when the opportunity came to collaborate with Sandwell College’s Fashion Department, we didn’t think twice. After all, what better way to keep championing real women’s needs than by opening up the very real challenges of the petite fashion industry to the next generation of designers?

A first-of-its-kind fashion collab

Earlier this month, P’tit Affair founder Susana Dias spent the morning with the college’s fashion students - sharing her story, the setbacks behind the scenes, and what it’s taken to build a made-to-last, premium petite fashion brand from scratch.

This wasn’t just a guest talk. It kicked off a brand-new collaboration where students were invited to explore the “problem with petite fashion”, from fit and sizing inconsistencies to lack of representation and product limitations, and conduct their own visual research projects in response.

Tackling the real problems Petite Women face

From dodgy hemlines to infantilising styles, the reality is: petite women are still underserved by mainstream brands. This is exactly what our students leaned into.

Their research spanned all sorts of insight, from styling challenges to harmful stereotypes, and we’re so impressed with how thoughtfully they approached the topic.

Seeing their sketches, moodboards, and mini case studies was not only inspiring but also confirmed just how important this conversation is.

You can view some of their work below.

       

Supporting local talent in the Black Country

As a brand proudly rooted in the West Midlands, we believe in giving back to the community that helped us get started. Sandwell College is the largest further education college in the West Midlands Combined Authority and nurturing future talent is at the heart of what they do. 

We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with them on this meaningful project. Not only are these students helping us think more deeply about our mission, but they’re also gaining insight into what it really takes to launch an ethical fashion brand – from values to viability.

More to come

This is just the beginning. We’ll be sharing more from this collaboration soon, including some of the brilliant creative outputs the students are working on.

Watch this space, because the future of fashion in Sandwell is looking bright (and petite-friendly)!