Jordan Currie from Portadown, who graduates next week with a degree in textile art, design and fashion, is helping to put Northern Ireland on the fashion map after being approached to showcase her chunky knitwear collection at Vancouver Fashion Week. She also features as a designer on Not Just A Label, the world's leading designer platform showcasing the most talented contemporary fashion graduates across the globe.
Jordan said: "I have always loved fashion, the way you dress has a huge impact on how you feel and I am fascinated by how people style themselves. While studying art for my GCSE's my teacher told me about Ulster University's Belfast School of Art and with its unrivalled reputation, it became my goal quite early on to secure a place on its fashion degree.
"As part of my university placement I lived on the island of Inis Meáin for a year working for contemporary Irish knitwear designer, Inis Meáin Knitting Company. It was the beautiful landscape and wild flowers on the island that were the inspiration behind my Ulster University graduate collection.
"While on my placement I was involved in all aspects of the company, learning about everything from design and production through to distribution. It was during this time that I learnt how to professionally construct and hand finish knitwear and I even got the opportunity to help design the new season collections."
Along with eleven other students from Ulster University, Jordan will display her work at the UK's leading design courses exhibit, New Designers. The show provides a platform for the next generation of the creative industries to showcase their talent to potential employers who come seeking fresh-thinking and highly skilled graduates.
She added: "I am hugely excited about my future and already have some promising career prospects. I would love to work for a knitwear company as a designer or potentially carry on working under my J Knitwear brand developing it further to become self employed."