A YOUNG woman who has overcome facial paralysis and epileptic seizures to launch her own successful clothing business has won a Yorkshire Young Achievers Award.

Lucy Winn, of Whixley, between York and Knaresborough, woke up one morning when she was 15 to find the left-hand side of her face was paralysed.

Investigations revealed a brain abscess, necessitating surgery and months in hospital for rehabilitation. 

She missed time at school but still went on to achieve her GCSEs and A-levels in Business, Art and Textiles.

However, Lucy’s problems were not over and at 19 she began to suffer seizures through epilepsy, brought on by the scarring to her brain.

Despite this, she studied at Leeds College of Art before joining Westminster University to gain a degree in Fashion Marketing and Promotion.

After a spell back at home in Whixley while her epilepsy was investigated and treatment began, she returned to London to take up a sales post. Then the pandemic hit, and she was furloughed. 

She used her skills in upcycling old garments into new looks, and her business, the Vintage Studio, was born.

Working at home initially, she built up a social media following, including a number of influencers, and now has an Instagram following of more than 13,000 and some high-profile customers, including singers Mimi Webb and Zara Larsson.

Lucy now has a studio in Fulham and is keen to build her business yet further by employing a small team to offer sustainable small collections, retaining a unique look but enabling more customers to purchase something they may have seen on her sites.

Her efforts to overcome adversity have now seen her awarded a Yorkshire Young Achievers Award for Achievement in Management and Enterprise, sponsored by CHR Estates.

The Awards mark the achievements of young people in seven categories, from the Arts to Sport, and are organised by the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation which has now raised more than £1.3m to support young people in Yorkshire. An eighth Award is made to a Foundation supporter.

The Chairman of the Awards, Peter McCormick OBE, said: “It was a very special evening after a break of three years because of the Covid pandemic and there was much to celebrate.

"There were stories of incredible fortitude and outstanding success and it is fair to say we continue to be amazed by the fantastic young people in our region.

“These Awards are our main fundraiser of the year and none of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors and our guests, many of whom have been with us almost since the beginning.

Other recipients included Beth Mead of Whitby, whose talent helped the England Lionesses to their historic Euros win in the summer.