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Dr Hartmann said that for the last seven years, the event has been hosted in Scottish castles, contemporary and architecturally renowned buildings in Glasgow and Stirling. She goes on to say that costing the show in the fashion capital of the UK, London, will give people the chance to see what can be offered by “Fashion Scotland”. The talent will also get access to industry players, editors and buyers.

She also reiterates that London, being the v\fashion capital is one place where top fashion designers meet to share ideas, learn from one another and grow the business. This is a great opportunity for all the industry players, and she is grateful to the Secretary of State for Scotland for gracing the event and making it possible for the showcase to happen.

This year, the best known fashion houses in Scotland will get to compete for the coveted awards. Jonathan Saunders, Louise Gray, Holly Fulton and Christopher Kane, will be competing for the Scottish Designer of the year. There will be other categories such as the Scottish Creative Excellence Award, Scottish Young Designer of the Year and International Designer of the Year.

Stella Tennant, the 2012 Scottish model of the year, fashion journalist Colin McDowell, Rankin, a photographer who got a hall of fame award in 2011, British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush. And Dolly Jones, editor of vogue.co.uk, will constitute the panel of judges. All winners will be announced at a gala event on October 9th.

Of course, custom clothing can easily go from the sublime to the ridiculous and a lot of that will come down to personal taste and just how far you think things can go before they simply look too far ‘out there’.

Whether your starting point in a classic idea that you customise with your own unique twist or perhaps something that you really think hasn’t been done before, custom clothing can be fun, save you money and help make your own unique look.

To help give you some inspiration for your own creations, here are five unique pieces of clothing we think are amazing:

1. Psychedelic Square Dress

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Aurore Baron is based in Vendée, France. The French have a long history making unique and one-off Haute couture pieces specifically for one individual to wear so it’s hardly surprising the first entry to our list is French in origin. Baron’s homemade ‘Psychedelic Squares Dress’ is a great idea that utilises bright colours without being flashy or loud. It also has a great mix of retro and contemporary looks to make for a unique piece.

2. Fringe Suits

Carla the Designer in Stockton-on-Tees in the UK makes a range of different things to order. All you need to do is give her your measurements and exact requirements and she looks after the rest. Custom clothing at its easiest!

Her ‘reggae style’ fringe suits (www.carla-the-designer.com/en/27-fringe-suits.html) are made up of everything from miniskirts and boob tubes to bra-tops and high-waisted skirts. Matching cuffs, headbands and boots top off a full ensemble that would make you stand out in any crowd.

3. Exotic

Lena Santana has been hailed as leading the custom clothing revolution. She was born in Salvador, educated in London and has lived in Rio and São Paulo in Brazil during her life. It is these influences that come out in her exciting designs which are based around eco-friendly designs and pretty patterns to show that custom made can look as good as catwalk.  Read more at jungledrumsonline.com/articles/latin-americans-in-london/material-girl/

4. Black Stretch Velvet Dress

Homemade designs don’t have to be elaborate to work well and sometimes the simple and classic approach is the one that can work best for great results. Take this black stretch velvet homemade dress from Brooks in Tuscaloosa in the USA. Fitting in with her simple yet classic designs it shows that making your own custom clothes can be a great way to find your own unique style.  Some great examples here www.chictopia.com/photo/show/605037-Velvet-black-stretch-velvet-homemade-dress-black-metal-belt-vintage-belt

5. Leavers Hoodies

A perennial favourite in the world of bespoke clothing, leavers hoodies are the perfect way to celebrate your years in education. While there are plenty of firms who offer customisable clothing for such occasions, our favourite is Clifton Clothing’s leavers hoodies which give you free reign of every aspect of the design. They even offer a unique service which has the name of every student in the graduating class added to the hood lining rather than taking up the entire back of the hoodie – perfect!

He goes on to say that the students gain vital experience in the industry. Not only do they mature as designers, but they also do so as individuals, and they return with a better idea about where they would like to enter the industry, and also how much hard work is required. They get a first-hand experience on how to create a collection and see which areas of the fashion world offer them the best fit upon graduation.

The students at Westminster are usually remarkable, with designers such as Luisa Clayton standing out. Her multiple textile creations, born out of her adept construction techniques, ended up with a sculptural quality. Phili Woods brought a new dimension to outerwear, when he used trompe l’oeil-printed jumbo knits

James Pawson had a witty collection which highlighted the importance of fundamental dressmaking techniques. The Now and the New are the factors that drive this industry forwards, and it will be interesting to see which direction these new designers take. Many will either join an established studio, or they will form their own label.

Ashley Williams and Claire Barrow have joined the Fashion East studio, after they graduated from the Westminster BA course last year. They will be showing some of their autumn/winter 2013 design collections at the London Fashion Week in February. One has to wonder if their fast, and very public, rise in the fashion industry, will serve as an inspiration to another set of hopeful students.

Size does mean style when it is Curvissa

Today’s fashion industry is, finally, changing. There has been major trend transformation taking place in 2013 and for the first time during this years spring/summer fashion week in London we saw LPSFW, or London Plus Size Fashion Week. Curvissa, who specialise in stylish clothes for plus sizes are continuing the celebration of curvier ladies in their latest television advert campaign.

Hannah Barltrop, online campaign manager at Curvissa says this change in the fashion industry is welcome, but not unexpected; “the fashion world is accepting that curves are crucial to creating fashion that’s both on trend and in keeping with the shape of real women’s bodies”. And, with the average UK dress size a 14 – 16, it’s about time curves were celebrated more.

LPSFW showcased fashion for ‘average’ sized women with a series of catwalk shows from designers and retailers alike and earned itself the nickname ‘the shape of fashion’s future’. Curvissa’s presence at this event was embraced by stylists, beauty bloggers and fashionistas alike, highlighting the need for such an event.

Building on the success of Curvissa’s involvement withLPSFW in trying to portray the fashion needs of average women, Curvissa have released an exclusive behind the scenes video of their latest TV campaign in an ‘access all areas’ style, which will give you a true idea of their attitude to summer style.

This year it’s all about hunting out fashion that’s fun, fresh and free of size stigma with a collection that’s second to none. It’s the style that shouts volumes, not the size that it comes in.

The day of the shoot began at sunrise, with the models made up in some of Curvissa’s most exciting new looks. Everyone was psyched for a productive day shooting some of the most stylish shots for this summer.

So what fresh fashion can we expect to see from Curvissa this season? Think bold colour blocking in daringly electric shades such as fuchsia and azure blue, chic nautical stripes and sleek monochrome patterns as well as ditsy floral prints across their plus size swimwear from Curvissa, holiday fashion and summer style collections.

The cast and crew alike had so much fun shooting the video and Curvissa can’t wait to share it with you. With over 3000 styles for women size 14 – 32, you can stay stylish whatever the occasion with Curvissa.

At the moment Katrantzou is exploring many ways to expand her brand which will kick off with the launch of her first e-commerce site due in just a few weeks. She also will be launching her pre-spring/summer 2014 collection in June and is working on hiring 16 new staff members for her creative team.

She explained that if this season had not been spectacular than they would not be able to hire more staff and the current staff would feel so tired that they would eventually leave. Therefore, she admits that every season is a risk since she has to worry about whether she will be able to come up with something new and exciting.

Born in Greece, Katrantzou credits a great deal of her support from the NEWGEN sponsorship that she received from the British Fashion Council and Topshop as it has allowed her to continue to expand and grow every season. She added that NEWGEN helps to draw international attention and therefore helps to bring more people, buyers, and press to fashion shows.

Although guys most often think of white as an undershirt and the occasional dress shirt, guys were decked out in full white gear head to toe in styles by Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavallli, and Versace.  Of course, there are a few rules that you need to follow before rushing out to buy all white, but with these in mind, white can result in a very sharp look.

First of all, do not go half-hearted about the white trend, because it involves all white clothing not just a top or bottom.  This means that you can wear a little black such as a belt, but avoid bright accents or you will look quite odd, or somewhat like someone dropped their lunch on you.

Second, do not add any complicated patterns, shoes, or other accessories. White is as simple as a colour can get, so keep your accessories and layering simple such as a white jacket or top.  However, any more than three pieces of layering and you will risk looking like Casper.

Finally, do not mix shades of white, because your outfit will end up looking odd and old instead of fashionable as darker shades will look faded and trashed.  The best white is crisp fresh white that looks like it is straight out of the store instead of yellow, beige, or ivory white.

Donning a flowing 2-tone black and white gown, the actress looked angelic as she walked down the red carpet accompanied by Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac and Garret Hedlund, who mimicked her black and white themed attire.

She kept her blonde hair away from her face, wore simple make-up, in an effort to accentuate her natural splendor. Complete with a risqué plunge and split down the front, her Vionnet frock accentuated her 27-year-old frame.

Finishing off her attire with black peep-toe shoes, the actress laughingly joked about the weather, which was not very good, and was heard to quip that it wasn’t raining, although they has been drenched in a sudden downpour.

Looking particularly handsome, as he accompanied his on-screen wife on the red carpet, Justin Timberlake sported a slick back-do, and had let some facial hair grow. Jessica Biel, Timberlake’s real-life wife, looked splendid in a Marchesa strapless prom dress that had a bird feather underskirt. Garret’s girlfriend, Kirsten Dunst, clutching at his hand, donned a Michael Van Der Ham black and white gown, and finished it off with red lipstick and diamante earrings

Juror Nicole Kidman was also present after reuniting with her estranged husband, Keith Urban, who flew to the venue in support his wife. Looking like two love-struck teenagers, the pair put up quite a show, posing outside the Palais Des Festivals, giving the delighted paparazzi a show full of cuddles and kisses. The stunning, 45-year-old actress wore an outstanding L’Wren Scott dress, which displayed her lithe and slender build to perfection.

Swimwear “vintage style” and lingerie were the main fashion wear that adorned the stage. The event had a photo-shoot with a difference done by Pearman Photography. The models had their hair done up by ND Make-up that gave them the looks of the 40’s. There was music added to the show by Scarlet Street as well as a set of DJ’s.

The event had begun in the day with the catwalk taking place in the Northumbria University campus where TV reality stars were also present on stage. Ollie Locke from Made in Chelsea beamed by E4 channel and Lauren Pope from The Only Way is Essex aired by ITV2 being the reality stars to host the show.

On Saturday there was Caryn Franklin, known as the ID Editor and former Clothes Show presenter, who had hosted the catwalks. There was also Victoria White, the Company magazine editor who gave a talk on the first steps into the fashion field.

To commemorate the fashion week, Van Mildert would be selling their designer goods at just £10 today. This process of selling off excess fashion stock at throw away prices is common in London, Milan and New York. For Newcastle residents however, this is the first ever occasion.

The sale would be going on at the Fat Buddha restaurant on the Swan House Roundabout. Claire Lake from Van Mildert expects to have a large queue for the items they are going to put up on sale. For premium ticket holders there is also going to be an exclusive show of collections from Vivienne Westwood, Armani Jeans, Stone Island, Ralph Lauren and many more top designers.

Fifty years ago in 1963, an historic event took place at the Old Assembly Rooms on Fenkle Street. It was called Turners Photo Fair, a venue for camera enthusiasts to get together, and to practice their photographic skills on models dressed in the latest fashions of the day.

Northeast Film Archive, an organisation that collects, preserves and provides access to films and TV footage relevant to the history of north eastern England from the earliest days of motion pictures, has footage of the event. It shows models posed against unusual backgrounds including bathrooms and a haystack, but the real impact was just part of the contribution made to the public and the film industry by Turners Cameras and Photography.

Turners started out as a pharmacy but back in 1932 Jack Turner made what was then a daring move, and started selling cameras from his shop. In the first year he sold £30 worth, but the year after that his sales doubled, and continued to increase so that by 1938 the photographic side of the business was booming, with steadily growing public interest in cameras and photography.

A wide range of top quality equipment as well as high standards of customer service made Turners a leading dealer, and by the 1950′s Turners was making a lot of short films for local organisations and businesses. As photographic technology progressed, Turners did too, investing in the newest and fastest processing procedures and outdoing almost all of the considerable competition.

By 1988 Turners had closed all its shops and photo labs and formed a new company concentrating on film and television. By 2001 the company no longer existed, but there were at least 2,000 films made by Turners Film Productions and many, like the Newcastle Photo Fair, can still be obtained through NEFA.