A project to digitise fashion pieces by an internationally-renowned designer has received a £111,000 cash boost.

Hundreds of garments by Chatham-born Dame Zandra Rhodes will be photographed – some for the first time.

The “Colourful Heritage” scheme, being overseen by University of the Creative Arts (UCA), will take place in Medway to inspire young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Dame Zandra, who is an alum and Chancellor Emerita of UCA, said: “I feel passionate about improving the wellbeing and creative education opportunities of underprivileged young people.

“This project will not only develop the skills and employability of students at UCA but reach and inspire new audiences for heritage, not just the most privileged groups.”

From now until August 2025, 100 fashion pieces and 50 accessories – including some made in collaboration with Stephen Jones and Piers Atkinson – will be recorded.

It will build on an existing archive of 500 garments and more than 1,000 pages of Rhodes’ fashion drawings, which were digitised by the university between 2011 and 2013.

The funding has come from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Head of resources, discovery and liaison at UCA, Leigh Garrett said: “We are thrilled to have received this grant thanks to National Lottery players.

“The project will have many benefits for our students and staff, but also the wider community.

“As a resource, the archive has potential for many exciting and innovative projects to promote and foster the support of cultural heritage work in the UK and internationally.”

Next spring, UCA will host a series of workshops with Medway schoolchildren.

And at the end of the project teachers from Kent and beyond will be able to download the resources.

According to Medway Council’s 2019 Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, 37 neighbourhoods in the area were ranked in the 20% most deprived areas nationally.