A fashion student from Onchan has been selected to show her lingerie collection at a London catwalk show today (Thursday) as part of a university course’s 70th anniversary.

De Montfort University Leicester student Emily Bell, 22, has created a lingerie collection entitled ’Belle La Mer’ 9beautiful sea) inspired by silhouettes throughout history, especially Victorian shapewear.

The university is home to the oldest contour fashion course in the world, which was established in 1947 to train workers for the burgeoning corset industry in the surrounding area.

Now, to mark its magnificent 70-year milestone, 21 final-year students will dress professional models in their garments before the models walk along a runway in the Grand Temple in Freemasons’ Hall, Covent Garden, this Thursday (June 8).

VIPs from the world of fashion will be at the show to cast their eyes over the next generation of design talent.

To be selected, the 21 students had to show their work - which included lingerie, swimwear, sportswear and nightware - to a panel of judges, including a representative from high street giants Debenhams.

Emily, who went to St Ninian’s High School in Douglas before attending De Montford University, said: ’I am very excited about the catwalk show. The biggest challenge I faced with the design was working with suede as I had never used it before to a high finished standard.’

While studying, Emily has been able to get work experience placements at lingerie firm LF Intimates, luxury clothing business Windsor and Wales and Isle of Man design agency Alice Rose Fayle Design.

She has also been a finalist for a competition set by global lingerie and underwear brand Triumph, had one of her garments shown at a MODA trade show and a corset she designed was exhibited in the new design era prototype section at the Hong Kong Interfiliere, a leading international show for lingerie, swimwear and fabrics.

Contour fashion at DMU was established in 1947 by the British Corset Industry to support the rise of innovative and technical local designers. Today it is a course dedicated to intimate apparel design and the university says it is ’widely regarded by industry experts as one of the best in the world’.

A spokesman said: ’Over the last seven decades thousands of its students have dared to be different and created stunning designs which have earned themselves prestigious positions within the industry.

’There are very few large businesses specialising in lingerie, swimwear, leisurewear and nightwear that have not been influenced, in some way, by De Montford University’s contour fashion’s exceptional alumni.’

Graduates work for ASOS, Calvin Klein, Gossard, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Aubade, Curvy Kate and Stretchline, among others.

Under the tutelage of programme leader Gillian Proctor and her team, many alumni have gone on to create their own labels, and the work of some of them has been worn by superstars including Beyoncé, Rita Ora and Paloma Faith.