NORTHUMBRIA University students will today showcase their colourful collections at the annual fashion show.

The sell-out show, at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, gives the region a chance to preview the collections of final year students before they are taken to London to compete for some of fashion’s highest accolades during Graduate Fashion Week, next month.

Included among the students presenting their designs are Eleanor Layton, from Darlington, and Lydia Mellor, from York.

Womenswear designer Eleanor, 21, has created a minimalistic collection called Refine, which features stormy shades of navy and dark maroon leather contrasted with bold duck egg blue textured knitwear.

Eleanor, who did work experience at Justin Davis, in Sydney, Australia, said: “I found the starting point of my collection by referencing the minimalistic fashions of the 1960s. The challenge of taking inspiration from a concept and reducing it to its simplest form is what appeals to me as a designer.”

Lydia’s womenswear collection is called Dazzling Disguise and takes influences from the camouflage technique of “dazzle ships” used during the First World War, and merges it with a 1940s feel, inspired by Ingrid Bergman’s wardrobe in the film Casablanca.

The 21-year-old said: “I’ve fused crepe, wool and tweeds with contemporary cloths, such as leather, neoprene and organza, to create a modern twist.”

Northumbria’s fashion courses are internationally recognised for producing innovative and handson designers. Its graduates work for high-profile companies such as Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Escada.