A GRADUAND has kicked off a career as a textile designer by making her first sale to supermodel Erin O’Connor.
Hayley Scanlan’s leather jacket caught the eye of the fashion icon at the launch of the Dundee Degree Show 2009.
Ms O’Connor watched a catwalk show put on by graduating Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design jewellery and textile design students.
Describing the show as “brilliant and bonkers”, she immediately headed backstage to place an order for a studded white leather jacket.
Ms O’Connor, 31, was invited to attend the degree show preview on Wednesday by Dundee University.
She said: “I am a person like anyone else – I like to shop and I love fashion and when I saw that jacket I thought ‘I have to have that first’.
“There was so much brilliant stuff in a great show from the students and I am delighted to have seen it all.”
Ms O’Connor said she is going to e-mail her measurements to designer Hayley Scanlan for the tailor-made jacket.
Miss Scanlan, 25, of Roseberry Street, Dundee, said she is thrilled to get such a prestigious first order.
“Someone said to me right after the show finished that Erin wanted to try my jacket on and I couldn’t believe it.
“But next thing she was trying it on and saying she definitely wanted one. It’s absolutely fantastic.”
The white leather jacket, with black screen-printed drip panels and gold and silver studs, was modelled in the show by Hayley’s 24-year-old sister, Holly.
Work created by about 260 graduating students including fine art, design, textiles, jewellery, animation and digital imaging, feature in this year’s degree show. The public can see the display at the Vision Building in Dundee’s Greenmarket from tomorrow until June 6.