Carly Squire, 22, a BA Hons Fashion Studies student from The University of Lincoln has been recognised for her talents in designing for women aged 50 and above – an age range that is all too often ignored by the fashion industry.

Christopher Nieper, managing director of Derbyshire-based fashion house, David Nieper, presented Carly with a special David Nieper trophy and £250. Carly also secures a fast-track place into the final of the David Nieper Fashion Academy competition – a highly prized and fought for competition to find the best student fashion designers.

Carly will now follow in the footsteps of another award-winning Lincoln University fashion graduate, Charlotte Bryan from Sleaford, who went on to win the 2010 national David Nieper Fashion Academy competition. Her prize included a six-month internship at David Nieper working alongside Julie Stone, the company’s head fashion designer. Charlotte is now employed full-time by David Nieper as a design room assistant.

Carly’s ‘Best of British’ collection hit the catwalk at the University of Lincoln’s Coming into Fashion catwalk show on the 20 May, at the Engine Shed in Lincoln in front of an audience of hundreds. Christopher Nieper, said: “For 50 years we have been designing and manufacturing all our collections in our Derbyshire workshops and are passionate about supporting great fashion talent – just like Carly’s – so that we can encourage, nurture and retain fashion and manufacturing skills in the UK, especially within the East Midlands.”

Inspired by the classic nautical trend with a Great British twist, Carly’s collection was selected for the David Nieper award for its casual elegance which can be dressed up or down for any occasion.

The David Nieper 2011 Fashion Academy competition is open to all fashion students across the UK. A variety of cash prizes are on offer and the overall winner will receive £1,000 and attend a six-week David Nieper masterclass.

To enter, students need to design a collection of five garments aimed at fashionable and professional 50+ women. All entries should also be accompanied by a marketing strategy and plan to introduce and sell the collection direct to customers both on and offline.

More information on the David Nieper Fashion Academy competition can be found at www.fashionacademy.org