York fashion designer Josephine Roberts on her brand 'BILLOW'

Josephine Roberts, who graduated from Northumbria University in Newcastle two years ago, is the up and coming designer behind BILLOW - inspired by her family holidays in Cornwall.

The former Fulford Secondary School pupil has been one of the industry's newest talents with her designs winning Graduate Fashion Week 2019’s womenswear scholarship with Tu Clothing.

Josephine Robert’s designs for the Tu collection, inspired by family trips to the Cornish seaside, as well as her watercolour paintings.

Using the patterns within her own watercolour paintings, Josephine drew from the traditional workwear of Cornish fishermen to create soft pink linen shorts and blazers as well as a colourful shirt dress and a blue and lilac loopy knit cardigan.

The designer spent a year under the mentorship of Calvin Klein's team in Amsterdam and was scouted on the final day of Graduate Fashion Week by design experts.

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But now, she says, it's time to create her own workshop space and career legacy with BILLOW.

Building on her love of Cornwall and natural, sustainable materials, Josephine is creating clothes that you can dress up or down depending on the occasion. Items will be made to pair with popular items in everyone's wardrobes like white shirts.

"My younger self wouldn't believe it really," she said.

"I remember when I first started at Tu and I told my mum and I was telling my friend that we designed a collection and it was like, 'Oh my god, I'm actually a fashion designer'.

"When you go into this industry you don't expect to pick it up because everyone wants to be a fashion designer. It's so surreal to think I've done that. It's a bit of a dream really.

"There's still so much to do. I want to push it a lot more and I think I can do that."

The York College alumna is currently working for a model making company in Manchester, adding to her belief that there are more creative jobs out there than people realise.

In the hopes of inspiring future creatives from the region, she said: "Don't be scared of it, there's so many jobs in it - not necessarily as a designer. Be confident in yourself and your ideas.

"When you think about it everything is design, everything is made and I don't know why people are so scared of it.

"You've got to just believe that you can do it. I know that sounds like what everyone says but it's so true. You need to sit yourself down and go, 'You can do it'. You've got to ask so many questions, listen to people, read things. You can take on board this information but use it for your strengths. Don't follow in other people's steps."