Fashion student set to impress at London Fashion Week

Fashion design student from Sheffield Hallam University has been shortlisted for a prestigious fashion award that will see her designs showcased at London Fashion Week.

Chelsey Crossland, who is graduating from the University this year, has been shortlisted for the Future Optimism competition - Fashion Awareness Direct's (FAD) annual showcase of new talent.

Chelsey qualified with her eco-friendly fashion collection, ‘A Home at the End of the World', which uses existing garments and leftover fabrics to create something new and wearable to give a garment a new lease of life.

Her two outfit designs will be presented during London Fashion Week and will be judged by leading professionals in the industry, including iconic fashion journalist and talent spotter Hilary Alexander.

Chelsey, 22, originally from Rawmarsh in Rotherham, who now hopes to work as a designer within a luxury fashion company, said: "To be shortlisted is an amazing opportunity and it came as a massive shock. I am really excited to show my work at one of the most prestigious fashion events.

"Ethical clothing is now being transformed by exciting designers and they are taking it to high end fashion and expanding it into all clothing areas."

David Morrish, fashion lecturer at Sheffield Hallam, said: "We are all very proud of Chelsey and what she has managed to achieve. It is a testament to the hard work she has invested into addressing this challenging and exciting competition brief."

Future Optimism is this year's FAD competition for undergraduate fashion students. The final catwalk event will take place as part of London Fashion Week which runs 15 - 19 February 2013.

The shortlisted work is available online www.fad.org.uk/archives/4130the_2013_finalists/index.php

For press information contact: Jade March on 0114 225 4959 or email pressoffice@shu.ac.uk