British fashion house, David Nieper has appointed Elizabeth Edwards to the position of senior fashion designer.

The designer, who started her career under the watchful eye of Jean Muir where her designs graced the catwalks of London Fashion Week, has more than 20 years’ experience in the fashion industry.  Her appointment comes at a time when the Derbyshire-based company is enjoying record sales of its Made in Britain fashion.

Heading up a design team of nine, Elizabeth’s first collection for the brand will be Spring 2014.  Her appointment to the senior position follows Julie Stone’s retirement after 26 successful years overseeing the design for David Nieper’s own-label knitwear, nightwear and womenswear collections.

A graduate of London’s prestigious St Martins School of Art, Elizabeth has enjoyed a very successful career working for some of the country’s most established fashion houses, including Mulberry, Betty Jackson, Catherine Walker and Frank Usher. During this time she dressed many familiar names, including Joanna Lumley, Jennifer Saunders and Marianne Faithfull.

Her designs have also been seen on the UK high street in stores such as Jaeger, Zara, H&M and Etam, and in boutiques across Europe and the United States. In 2005 Elizabeth joined mail order company Shop Direct where she worked directly with Twiggy, to develop a mature, upmarket brand ‘Twiggy Collection’, and in 2008 she launched her own label ‘Elizabeth A Edwards’, an eco-couture collection of innovative classics: quirky, ethereal, yet quintessentially British.

On her appointment at David Nieper, Elizabeth commented: “It is a privilege to join a successful company who design and manufacture in the UK, and where I can follow a garment through from initial design concept to finished product all under one roof. I am looking forward to sharing the extensive experience I have gained in the industry with the design team, and to contributing to the continued success of the company.”

Christopher Nieper, managing director of David Nieper concludes: “We are very pleased to welcome Elizabeth.  She’s a talented fashion designer and accomplished pattern cutter and we are all looking forward to seeing her new collections come to life.”