Hartlepool-based designer Scott Henshall has been grabbing headlines for his £5m Spider-Man dress. He talks to Women's Editor Christen Pears.

SCOTT Henshall has somehow managed to double book himself. No sooner have we said hello than he's whisked off by a film crew to talk about that dress. The Spider-Man dress, the most expensive dress ever made. Call it whatever you want, it generated the kind of headlines most designers only dream of. "I'm really sorry," he says as he sits down and pretends to pore over the intricate web pattern for the benefit of the camera. "I've no idea what I was thinking of."

It's understandable; things have been frenetic for the 28-year-old designer since singer Samantha Mumba stepped out on the red carpet at the Spider-Man 2 premiere wearing Scott's £5m, diamond-encrusted design. Everyone wants a piece of him which, of course, is exactly what he intended. It was a brilliant piece of PR.

Resigned to waiting, I sit down and watch the interview, which is taking place at a printers in the centre of Hartlepool, where he spends almost as much time as he does at his studio, using the printers and photocopiers. Against this background, I'm a little surprised when he draws from a carrier the beaded black dress he designed for supermodel Jodie Kidd for the first Spider-Man premiere - the dress that propelled him into the public eye and established him as the master of the "message dress" - a themed gown designed for a special event.

After Spider-Man came the Kama Sutra mini dress worn by Denise Van Outen at the opening of the musical Bollywood dreams, and then there was Tina Barrett's eye-popping number at the premiere of the S Club 7 movie.

More than most, Scott knows the value of a photo opportunity on the red carpet. "I know in a way it's not fashion but it's integral to what my label is about - fun, high octane glamour. If it can make your name known to a wider audience and get them to want to wear your stuff, I don't see there's anything wrong with it," he says.

The record-breaking Spider-Man dress attracted a huge amount of attention even before Samantha Mumba had tried it on. The press had heard Scott was planning something special and rumours began circulating about who would wear his latest creation. Charlotte Church was mentioned - Scott had dressed her a couple of weeks before - but he says it was always going to be Samantha. He's worked with her on several occasions, designing the dress for her 21st birthday party and he counts her among his friends.

"It's such a big thing, you want someone you know you can work with and who's going to pull out all the stops. It's as much about promotion for myself and for them as it is for the movie."

He has high hopes that the dress will help him break into the notoriously difficult American market. The ripples have already been felt on the other side of the Atlantic, with photographs appearing on front pages in New York and Los Angeles, but the ultimate challenge would be to dress someone for the Oscars, preferably Christina Aguilera. "I think she's fantastic," he gushes.

Despite the high profile clients and celebrity friends, Scott seems to have remained fairly down to earth. When his TV interview is finished, we head off to a nearby coffee bar in the centre of Hartlepool. He's a little concerned there aren't any decaff lattes - "caffeine really does something weird to me" - but he's soon chatting about everything from acupuncture to the Northumberland countryside. Like his designs, he's flamboyant, mischievous and great fun.

Born in York, Scott moved to Hartlepool in 1996 and although he has a flat in Kensington, he spends most of his time in the North-East. His studio is flooded so at the moment, he's working on the dining room table at his parents' house.

"It's great because I've got my mum to look after me. That's why I gravitate towards here rather than being on my own in London," he says half-jokingly. "I never work down there. I get my inspiration being here. There are too many distractions in London."

After graduating from Northumbria University in 1997, Scott launched his own label and made his catwalk debut at London Fashion Week the following year with a show entitled "Subversive Sloane". Described as "Princess Anne on Acid", the collection was bought exclusively by Liberty, who also hired him as a consultant to revamp their prints.

In 2000, he was appointed creative director at Mulberry and was one of the driving forces behind the revival of the quintessentially English label. Although he enjoyed his time with the firm, the two have now parted company, leaving him to concentrate on his own label.

He's currently working on his collection for London Fashion Week in September, intriguingly based on the theme of chocolate. Typical of his attention to eye-catching detail, he's having limited edition chocolates made by chocolatiers Charbonnel and Walker.

The show is being supported by the Newcastle Gateshead Initiative as part of the Culture 10 programme - the first time a major fashion designer has been backed by a local authority.

"Tony Blair's always wanting to talk about fashion and promote it. He's always going on about what a lot of talent we have here but the local council is actually getting behind me. They're proud that I'm based in the North-East and I feel very privileged to have their support," says Scott. He'll be bringing his collection to Newcastle in October to celebrate the opening of the refurbished Leazes Park. "I'm hoping to bring lots of celebrities up like Sam (Mumba) and get some Newcastle United players to star. I think it'll be great for the city. People think everything has to be based in London but that's wrong. The North-East is a very stimulating place."

But there's far more to Scott than his message dresses and couture collections. He already designs a range for the Littlewoods catalogue and in September, he launches his first collection for the trendy high street chain New Look. It's an exciting prospect, giving fashion-conscious shoppers an opportunity to sample his unique style.

So which does he enjoy more - the day-to-day work of creating a new collection or designing headline-grabbing outfits? "They're different. In a way, doing the high profile things is just a way of getting people to look at my other stuff but I do enjoy it. I enjoy the instant hit."

For now, he seems to be enjoying the hit from the latte, buzzing his way down the street and back to work. From Hartlepool to Hollywood. Somehow, it doesn't seem a long way.