51Âþ»­

One of the hottest fitness clothing brands in the world right now has heaped praise on the 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) students who showed their collections on the London catwalk this week.

One of Mollie Brigg's butterfly-inspired outfits

The annual 51Âþ»­ Contour Fashion Catwalk Show took place in the lavish surroundings of Freemasons' Hall, Covent Garden, in front of hundreds of leading industry figures last night.

Thirty students were selected to show their final year collections of lingerie, sportswear, swimwear and nightwear as their three years of study, on the oldest contour course in the world, came to a climax.

Gymshark, the UK’s fastest growing company, which sells to 131 countries around the world, were platinum sponsors of the show, showing their support for the course and the outstanding talent it produces.

Part of Kelly Alleyne's men's range

Gymshark forged its links with the Contour Fashion course earlier this year when they set the students a project to design and create their future visions of sportswear.

The company’s Talent Director Ed Priestnall said: “The experience with 51Âþ»­ has been absolutely fantastic, from when we got involved in the design project with the faculty earlier this year all the way through to today. It has been a really encouraging experience. We have recruited from 51Âþ»­ and it sends a message out that the university is a great supporter of Gymshark.

“The professionalism of the show made it such an engaging experience and the quality of the work was second-to-none, it really was.”

A piece from Jasmine Patel's The Saint La Amour

Nichole de Carle, who graduated from 51Âþ»­ several years ago, now runs her own global luxury lingerie label and has created incredible outfits for megastars such as Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

Nichole said: “As one of the alumni going back several years now, I know how difficult the course and the show is. You go through so many emotions but it is just one of those great experiences.

Roshni Desai's striking use of colour

“Coming back [to the shows] every year and seeing the talent grow I am always surprised and never disappointed. The show was electric. In terms of fashion and fit the students were bang on. They should be really proud of what they have done. It is three years of hard work and it has really paid off tonight.”

Theresa McCudden is a graduate from 51Âþ»­ and is now a product and client manager for show-stopping swimwear brand Pistol Panties.

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She said: “The show was absolutely fabulous  - the colours, the level of detail - I was really impressed. It was so experimental, so exciting and so modern. Credit to the students. They have done a fantastic job.”

The students who showed their collections were on a high after seeing their work on the runway. Every print, stitch, cut and detail was done by their hands.

Holly Page, from Brighton, has modelled for the Contour Fashion Catwalk Show every year since she started studying at 51Âþ»­ and this year she was also showing her collection.

Holly's collection on the catwalk

Called Millicent, Holly’s outfits were inspired by skeletal forms and scaffolding structures which led to a range of outerwear that merges into underwear.

She said: “I feel amazing today. I have been part of the show for three years now and it is finally my time to have my collection on the catwalk. It is so nice to model and show my work. I am really excited about what the future might hold. I would recommend the Contour Fashion course to anyone.”

Holly modelling Charlie Barnett's outfit

Paige Manning, from Leeds, created a collection called Memento Mori, influenced by the daggers and swords displayed at the Royal Armouries in Leeds and baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi.

She said: “I have seen how my styling has progressed and it was exciting seeing the end products of my studies all together on the catwalk. It has been extremely hard work but rewarding – and it builds character.”

A piece from Paige Manning's  Memento Mori collection

Jasmine Patel’s full collection was the first down the runway. Called The Saint La Amour it was a bridal collection inspired by Dutch Caribbean architecture and Roman Catholicism.

She said: “I feel a mixture of relief and excitement. I am also very tired! My biggest fear today was not getting my collection out on to the runway or all my garments falling apart. It was so chaotic backstage. But none of that happened and the highlight was definitely seeing my work come to life on the catwalk.”