Fashion’s hot prospects showcased

A Shrewsbury student is helping to set the fashion agenda with website business showcasing brightest new design talent - all at an affordable price

It’s the kind of retail therapy Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw would love. In fact, Sarah Jessica-Parker might even fall for its unique charms herself away from her big screen alter ego.

Because while the Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks are the mainstay of her dress code, Carrie and her gal pals love that perfect style statement that has never been seen before.

And what’s the best way to get ahead of the fashion pack - ignore today’s must haves in favour of tomorrow’s waiting list wannabes.

Fashion students Sophie Chowdhuri and Francesca Yarnit have done just that. These girls have spotted a gap in the market and are now making the most of it by launching their own online boutique selling exclusive collections and accessories by tomorrow’s top designers.

Yes, it’s great having the latest Christopher Kane design - and it’s also great for the other dozen or so people lucky enough to be able to afford it.

But spotting a trend even before it happens. Now that’s fashion and having a true sense of style.

Sophie, 21, from Belle Vue in Shrewsbury has joined forces with Francesca, 24, from Sheffield, for this new venture. Both are in their final year of a fashion buying degree course at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Their website business, www.graduatefashionshop.co.uk, began as a project the girls had to do as part of their course. But their plans so impressed their lecturers and industry advisers that they were encouraged to turn it into a fully-fledged business.

Sophie said: “We had to present our ideas for a business start-up project to a panel of industry experts. The feedback we got was really positive and we were determined to carry on and make a success of something we feel so passionate about.

“Graduate Fashion Shop introduces you to fresh new design talent discovered at top universities from around the country. Our collections are the step between the high street and the catwalk that has never been available to the public until today.

“You’ll find beautifully designed and entirely unique pieces from our exciting new designers and be the first to wear these hot new names.

“The site also acts as an agency for young designers, helping to launch their careers in the fashion industry .”

The girls have six designers on board who have given them the rights to sell one-off pieces from their couture collections, hand-made by themselves.

“Some designers have also allowed us to reproduce their original patterns, which are made up by trained seamstresses. Some styles can be made up in a choice of fabrics and colours, and to your individual measurements,” Francesca added.

“You will find top-end couture designs on the site that cost around the same as mass-produced ranges at Karen Millen or other leading High Street names. We are giving people the opportunity to acquire an exclusive piece from a new designer who could be the next Stella McCartney - at an affordable price.”

After Sophie and Francesca graduate this year they both hope to embark on careers as buyers within the fashion industry but will continue to build up their Graduate Fashion Shop business.

“As fashion buyers and fashion consumers we have long been frustrated with the lack of individuality on the UK high street,” explained Sophie.

“So, we joined forces to develop our very own on-line boutique, www.graduatefashionshop.co.uk, offering the customer the chance to buy the next big names in the fashion world at high street prices.

“Having studied at Manchester Metropolitan University we saw amazing talent developing in our very own university and saw an opportunity to help get these fresh new designers into the limelight where they deserve to be!

“We have sourced beautiful collections from some of the best young graduate designers around. So while you get to be among the first to discover these fabulous new names, we are also giving our country’s talented young designers the opportunity to shine.

“Graduate Fashion Shop is proud to showcase beautifully designed, well sourced, hand-made and bespoke garments.”

Designers currently showcasing collections on www.graduatefashionshop.co.uk are Lucie Wickham, Elaine Tsang, Hollie Nicholson, Danielle Sweeney, Gaynor Carradice and Marie Hague.