Young fashion student wins award after sight loss

Liv Ashton decided to seek help when she began having intense migraines

A fashion student who temporarily lost her eyesight has gone on to win an award for her graduate collection which was inspired by football.

Liv Ashton, from Esh Winning in Country Durham, created "Giz A Fiver" in tribute to her working-class heritage.

The collection incorporated vintage sportswear, including the famous black and white stripes of Newcastle United's strip.

But illness in her last two terms meant everyone around her was busily finishing their work while she "couldn't use a sewing machine", she said.

"I was stuck at home and had to recover," she said.

The 23-year-old was forced to take time out of university and, at one point, thought she would never finish her pieces.

"I was watching all of the other girls around, who were so excited to finish their collection, and I couldn't use a sewing machine," she said.

Miss Ashton's collection was inspired by growing up in a working-class family in the north-east of England

The Northumbria University student became unwell and started to experience chronic migraines in early March.

These then led to the loss of sight in her left eye and she ended up needing treatment in hospital.

The NHS says migraines affect six million people in the UK with more women experiencing them than men.

After treatment, Miss Ashton regained her sight and managed to finish her collection in time for Graduate Fashion Week in London earlier this month, where she was awarded "highly commended".

"It was crazy," she said.

"After being so ill I never expected to get to London Graduate Fashion Week with three looks.

"When everyone was talking about it I had to put it to the back of my mind, because the most important thing was finishing my degree."

Miss Ashton used vintage Newcastle United strips and match-day scarfs

The annual fashion event showcases the creations of more than 3,000 students working in 26 different fashion disciplines at more than 95 UK and international universities.

Miss Ashton says she sourced a lot of the materials for her collection from second hand and charity shops to make it as cost effective as possible.

"I don't exactly have the biggest budget to play with so it was really important that I showed how accessible the industry could be," she said.

Northumbria University fashion programmes director Sarah Walton said it was "incredibly important" for students to lean into their background when creating their designs.

"We find that some of the most successful projects that we have are about a student's cultural heritage," she said.