Bexleyheath fashion student Sarah Lee's designs are being showcased at London Fashion Week

A fashion student from Bexleyheath who has been inspired by the beauty of Russia has been picked to show her designs at a show at the prestigious London Fashion Week.

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Sarah Lee, who lives in Bexleyheath, impressed the judges in an illustration and design contest run by Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) to showcase the work of up and coming talent.

The 22-year-old third year student at the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester has won the opportunity to show her work at a fashion show which attracts attention of international buyers and experts in the fashion industry.

Her sketchbook and portfolio will be showcased ahead of FADs’ LFW show at Vauxhall Fashion Scout tomorrow.

The collection is inspired by Russia and the contrast between the elegance of the cities of St Petersburg and the bleakness of Moscow. Her designs feature embroidered and textured fabrics and she used to bring actual fabrics into the illustrations.

Sarah said: “I’m really excited to be selected as a finalist for the FAD Gala Show – it really puts the work I have produced into perspective and shows that people outside UCA appreciate my work.

“It’s an amazing to have my work shown at London Fashion Week, especially as I’m still a student. LFW is one of the most celebrated events for the fashion industry and being a part of it is a privilege.”

Donna Ives, associate dean of fashion at UCA, said: “Sarah’s drawings were really dynamic, demonstrating a strong individual style. She has a real flare for illustration, which is evident in her FAD work.

“Drawing is incredibly important in fashion and is a key skill for every designer. It’s used as a tool to communicate designs, not only in illustrative format but also in technical format, and to explain how ideas can be developed into three-dimensional samples.”

Sarah has been inspired by lectures and drawings lessons with internationally-renowned fashion illustrator Richard Gray who has worked some of the top designers including Alexander McQueen, Givenchy and Vivienne Westwood.

She said: “His stories were inspirational and his passion and enthusiasm for illustration was infectious and helped push me forward in my work.”

Maria Alvarez, FAD Executive Director, said: “For a decade FAD has showcased the talents of UK students on the catwalk in London. Every year we select students based on the sketchbooks and illustrations they submit in the initial stages.

“A lot of work and brilliance goes into creating these inspiring books and drawings but they are often overlooked for the final product, so we launched this competition to celebrate this side of design, and to highlight FAD’s ethos of combining art and fashion.”