Final cut

POOR Victorian fisherfolk from Whitby, the Eighties children's cartoon Thundercats and Shakespeare's Macbeth are just some of the inspirations behind the collections from York students to be shown at the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week in London which starts on Monday.

Final year students from the HND2 course in fashion and design at York College will be showing their work on the catwalk in front of leading figures in the industry.

Now in its tenth year, the event is recognised as a showcase for the leading talent in student fashion. It has helped launch the careers of celebrity designers such as Stella McCartney, Julien McDonald and Antonio Beradi, who all experienced their first introduction to the catwalk at Graduate Fashion Week.

York College is the only non-university course taking part in this invitation-only event. Whether York College students attend in 2002 depends on the strength of this year's collections, so the pressure is on to maintain very high standards, says course leader Gilly Staples.

"They have produced some exciting, original designs and they all deserve to succeed at such a prestigious event," said Gilly.

Needless to say, the students have been working around the clock to be ready in time for their catwalk show on Monday.

But five took a break from their sewing machines to reveal the inspirations behind their collections.

1 Naomi Stanley

MEMORIES of childhood are brought to life in this collection, which features children's cartoon favourite Thundercats, Wellington boots, schoolgirl gingham and playground corduroy.

"I went through my photo album, looking at what we used to wear when we were little and just tried to make it fashionable," explains the 19-year-old from York.

Thundercats - which she used to watch all the time when she was small - have been used as a decorative motif on some items in the collection.

But the look is as much hotchpotch as hop-scotch. Jumble sale chic would be an apt tag, and indeed Naomi took inspiration from vintage clothes given to her by friends.

Naomi would like to work in fashion promotion and is looking for a place at art college to continue her studies.

2 Janet Hull

LAYERS of rags worn by the poor fishing communities in Victorian Whitby are the force behind Janet's impressive work.

She took her inspiration from photographs by Frank Meadow Sutcliffe, a Victorian naturalist photographer.

"The people were so incredibly poor," says Janet, 41, of York. "They didn't ever get new clothes, just added another layer to whatever they were wearing."

This layering is the key to Janet's look.

A focal point of her final collection is a woollen skirt, blouse and long coat - all in neutral colours - with a cream silk organza overcoat on top.

Along the hem of this, Janet has hand-painted fishing boat scenes of Whitby in a sepia-brown ink. The effect is stunning.

"The organza makes it look old and dusty. I decided to finish it off with the sepia painting detail," explains Janet who is a mature student with three children - Tom 16, Debra 19 and Joanne 21 - but has many years' experience in dressmaking.

She spent six years as head of wardrobe at East 15 acting school but now works at the Theatre Royal.

She says the course has given her the confidence to develop her skills and talents. Her aim is to open her own business.

3 Shelli Howgego

DREAMING and madness share similar qualities, according to 20-year-old Shelli from Selby, and it is this area she is exploring in her work.

"I read some interesting books about the link between dreams and madness. They share similar qualities: the jumble of things, the hallucinations, the disjointedness of it all," says Shelli.

This is certainly reflected in her collection which features lots of separate pieces worn together to create a stunning look.

A centrepiece of the collection is a top assembled from three separate items: a huge funnel neck, pull-on arms with long strings hanging from them, and a body-hugging bodice.

Expectations are also played around with on the colour front, as Shelli uses unusual combinations in tartan and tweeds.

After the summer, she will be heading to Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication in Chislehurst, Kent, for a BA honours in fashion design.

She would like to work as a fashion illustrator or stylist.

4 Donna Leaf

THINGS are not as they seem in 20-year-old Donna's designs. Armholes appear at the front of shirts, trousers sprout sleeves and a jacket flows into a dress.

It's the kind of topsy-turvy world we inhabit in our sleep, but creating these unusual clothes has been anything but sweet dreams for the young designer.

"They've been a bit of a nightmare to sew up," confesses Donna.

Playing around with shapes is akin to putting together a jigsaw, she adds.

Take for example the dress featured today. It has huge circular pockets and is cut to give the illusion of a dart. The threads hanging from stitching are meant to be there - "they represent the frequency waves when we are sleeping," explains Donna.

"In sleep and dreams, things are not as they seem and that's my theme," she adds.

Donna is heading to Lincoln to do a fashion degree at the De Montfort University.

5 Debi Walker

SHAKESPEARE'S Macbeth is the inspiration behind 20-year-old Debi's final-year collection.

"It's about the emotion and feelings in the story, the anger and ambition, rather than the clothes they actually wore then," explains Debi, of York.

Her eight outfits for show on the catwalk will follow the flow of the story.

"I start with white which symbolises the witches and it progresses to black to symbolise the death of Macbeth," says Debi.

This final dress is a real show-stopper: a full-length black number with a huge train and a thick gold and red trim on the hem.

Debi has secured a place at the prestigious Central St Martin's College of Art and Design in London to do a course in pattern cutting, which she hopes will lead to a job with a leading designer. Her long-term aim is to establish her own label.