Uni To Hold First Pro Fashion Show

Bath Spa University is to stage its first ever professional fashion show. The catwalk show, at the Assembly Rooms in Bath in June, will showcase collections designed by graduates and students from the Fashion course at the University's School of Art and Design.

The event is being organised by a London show producer, John Walford, who has worked with leading clothes designers such as Vivienne Westwood and for many years has produced catwalk shows for London, New York and Hong Kong Fashion Weeks. The collections will be modelled by professional London-based models.

The BA Fashion Design course at Bath Spa University was set up five years ago and this will be the first time the University has exhibited its graduates' work in a live professional show.

On the catwalk there will be 19 graduate collections, each consisting of five outfits. There will also be a section featuring the work of Bath Spa's current fashion students, with 15 collections by young designers in the second year of their course.

Recent Bath Spa fashion graduates are currently employed or on long-term internships with brands such as Mulberry, Erdem, Jasmine di Milo, Joseph, Top Shop and Giles Deacon. Past students have also worked with Vivienne Westwood, River Island and Ozwald Boateng.

Louise Pickles, Bath Spa University's Fashion Design course leader, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for our students and the event will form the show reel for an application to show on the catwalk in London in 2010."

The Bath Spa University Fashion Show takes place at the Assembly Rooms in Bath on Tuesday 16 June. There will be two shows, at 3pm and 7pm.

In the build-up to next month's show there will be an exhibition of black outfits designed by last year's graduates, as shown at Graduate Fashion Week in London in June 2008. This exhibition will take place at Milsom Place in Bath.

Tickets, costing £16, can be booked online at: http://fashionshow.artbathspa.com/ or phone 01225 876393.