York-born fashion designer Scott Henshall is mixing the old with the new as he fronts this year's York Fashion Week, reports MAXINE GORDON

Pictures: Olivia Brabbs

SCOTT HENSHALL earned his nickname 'king of the red carpet' by designing outrageous outfits for celebrities.

Among his most famous creations was a cobweb dress encrusted in diamonds – said to be the most expensive dress in the world at £5 million – and worn by Samantha Mumba for the premiere of Spider-Man 2 back in 2004.

Tina Barratt from S Club 7 made the front pages in a revealing red dress, which left little to the imagination.

And singer Charlotte Church wore a "chocolate dress" where the fabric was covered in prints of chocolate – apt for the talented designer who hails from the chocolate city.

Scott, now 43, was born in Fulford Maternity Hospital and spent his early years in Strensall. He went to high school in Richmond, gaining a GCSE in art at the age of 12. His rise through the upper echelons of the fashion industry began early. Aged 22, he became the youngest designer to show at London Fashion Week. He has been the creative director of luxury British fashion house Mulberry and worked with other leading brands including Liberty and Laura Ashley.

He is a TV personality too, most famously appearing in I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2006.

Based in London, this spring, he is returning home to be the face of York Fashion Week – hosting an intimate dinner and Q&A at The Ivy's Etty Room on Monday March 25, 7pm-10pm, followed by a catwalk show of his new collections at the Mansion House the following evening.

To mark the occasion, Scott staged an exclusive fashion shoot in York, featuring some of his most famous iconic dresses from the red carpet. Unfortunately, one dress was missing. The cobweb dress, now minus diamonds, is in a museum archive, says Scott – and couldn't be released to him for the York photoshoot. "I had to laugh, otherwise I would cry," says Scott.

Why put his dresses back in the public eye at all? "I am celebrating my 21st year in the fashion industry and I wanted to think about my legacy. This is my archive and I wanted to bring it back to York and show it off before I launch my new collections."

The new designs are being kept under wraps until York Fashion Week where Scott will reveal three new fashion ranges. These will be Scott Henshall, a mainline collection of womenswear; Valour, sportswear for men, and CASH, athletic leisurewear for men.

"This is the first time I have done a menswear collection. But they can be worn by females as well – they are unisex. My athletic leisurewear is glamorous enough for people to wear with high heels and go to a nightclub. People are wearing a lot of that stuff now, they want to feel comfortable."

All the clothes are aimed at the premium market with prices from £180-£450. He describes them as "accessible luxury" and will be selling to retailers via Brandlab. "I imagine I will be taken on by my old stores like Harrods and Selfridges – and Fenwick and Brown's!"

Scott is clearly on a creative roll because he is bringing out two more products – a luxury gin and candles in collaborations with two Yorkshire companies.

For the York photoshoot, he also collaborated with local jewellers Azendi.

Scott has been working with gin distillers Cooper King at Sutton-on-the-Forest, York, where together they have crafted a gin called Valour, named after his menswear label. "The key notes are rosemary and basil – it's quite masculine to go with the Valour name," he says. He has created two new limited edition products also for the Yorkshire Candle Company. All these collaborations will be sold during Fashion Week, with a percentage of the sale price going to a charity of Scott's choice. "It will probably be an animal charity," he says.

The catwalk show at York's Mansion House will be Scott's first for 14 years – and he says he is honoured to be holding it in his home town.

"I am delighted to be the face of York Fashion Week – and its ambassador. York has had a come back – as a city of culture and great, independent stores and restaurants. It feels like there is more of a vibe here, which is great. The film industry is coming back as well with lots of shoots in the North. York just seems to be happening."

Find out more about York Fashion Week at: yorkfashionweek.co.uk