Stunning pieces created by Leeds fashion students underline the growing reputation of the city for style

The outfits pictured here, created by five final-year BA (Hons) Fashion students from College of Art & Design, provide a taste of what's to come at the college's Fashion Show on May 29.

The five collections were six months in the making.

Student Sorenna Rostampour, one of the designers, said: "The point of our collections is everyday life."

The Fashion course, which only started eight years ago, has become one of the most popular in the country, with over 900 applicants for 50 places.

And Sorenna believes the college's location at the heart of Yorkshire is a key factor in this.

He said: "All of us came here because we wanted to come to Leeds. It's a very practical course.

"Leed's is up-and-coming with fashion, it's probably the trendiest city in the north and it's still growing."

Tickets for the Fashion Show are £7 each. For more details visit: www.leeds-art.ac.uk


The designers...


Sorenna Rostampour

Age: 21

From: Burnley

Collection: "It's called 'The Collection' – a 1950s collection based on the original Russell Hobbs tea pot. It's all in black and white, with a sporty-edge feel. It's a designer collection. I wanted a classic, clean-cut edge – it's about making the female body look better, stressing the proper hourglass figure."

Future plans: "I've got a few interviews for master's degrees in Fashion Design. After that I'd like to do fashion styling for photography – the kind of stuff that would be in magazines like i-D and Dazed & Confused."


Alison Griffin

Age: 20

From: Grays, Essex

Collection: "I'm strongly influenced by the Wizard of Oz, my favourite film. It's also about looking at the female body, accentuating curves. I'm inspired by the female body – it's beautiful. That's why I didn't use stick-thin models, breasts are what make us women, it's about female empowerment. Original cuts also feature highly. My collection is called 'Get Me On The D-List', which is about trying to create a celebrity status for the everyday person."

Future plans: "I'm moving to Berlin to set up my own boutique."


Sarah Witter

Age: 21

From: Hertfordshire

Collection: "It's about geometric shapes and structure. I used sporty fabrics and added studs and chains to give it more edge. I looked at origami, and was also inspired by designers at the Dover Street Market in London."

Future plans: "I hope to do a short course in pattern cutting this summer, then start designing garments part-time for boutiques near where I live."


Renae Fagan

Age: 22

From: Nottingham

Collection: "I did work experience last year with Katharine Hamnett, the original 'slogan t-shirt' maker. She influenced me a lot – my collection is about politics, protest, and using ethical fabrics and eco-friendly materials such as bamboo satin and organic cotton. It's a floaty, relaxed summer collection, using a lot of tie-dye."

Future plans: "I want to be a designer. I'm going to go to London and try and work my way up."


Alison Mansfield

Age: 22

From: Stockport

Collection: "I'm a womenswear designer, and it's very feminine and relaxed. That's my kind of style, what I felt comfortable with. I started looking at origami, Japanese sculptures. I was also influenced by florals, and a spring/summer 2009 trend called 'tapering' – things being pulled down, uneven hemlines."

Future plans: "I'd love to have my own business, and maybe go to London for a couple of years to see what it's like down there.

I'd like to have my own shop, doing my own designs."