Instagram post leads to fashion bible Vogue snapping up image of Amber’s dress design

A graduate from the University of Northampton is celebrating after one of her designs was featured in fashion bible Vogue – and it all started with a simple Instagram post.

Amber Rawlins was so proud of the skirt she’d designed and made at university, she posted some images of it to the social media platform.

They were chanced upon by fashion photographer, Paula da Silva, who was working on an editorial brief she was hoping to place with Vogue’s Italian website.

She got in touch with Amber, arranged for a model to take part in a photoshoot, and the image of her wearing the garment was one of those published by Vogue.

Amber made the skirt from viscose velvet, hand dyeing and printing it herself. It formed part of the Textiles for Fashion student’s 2019 final year collection, which she entered into the national student showcase, Graduate Fashion Week.

“It’s very exciting and one of my proudest moments as a designer, and I am extremely thankful to Paula for making it possible,” said Amber, who comes from Litchborough, near Towcester, and attended Campion School in Bugbrooke.

“Mostly people have just been excited for me and liked how versatile the outfit is, as it was originally styled as skirt for one of my Graduate Fashion Week outfits, but for the Vogue shoot we styled it as a dress.”

Amber’s collection on the Graduate Fashion Week catwalk.

Follow Amber on Instagram.

The credits for Paula’s image, above, are as follows, model Alice, designer Amber Rawlins, make-up Mae Brogan, hair Marta Martineau and assistant Dina Maria.