Inspired by India, Scottish designer wins fashion award

A young Scotland-based fashion designer, who was inspired by creations during a visit to India, has been selected for the UK Young Fashion Entrepreneurs Awards by the British Council.

The work of Elena Corchero, 32, has been highly commended for its creative and innovative flair. Her work was recognised during the London Fashion Week in February.

Corchero, who works as a research associate at technology research company Distance Lab, based in Forres, Scotland, found her inspiration in India, where she spent two weeks exploring the fashion industry.

She said her exploration of the rich diversity of the fashion industry in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Mumbai was something she will never forget.

"This has been a wonderful experience for me and the other finalists. We all came back from India inspired with a new creative energy," she said.

One of the judges, Michael Oliveira-Salac, director of Blow PR, said Elena's work had evoked a strong feeling among the panel.

"We liked her inter-disciplinary approach of developing a kind of hub for creativeness in different fields to network and collaborate. Her success will be determined by the collaborations she has with fashion designers," he said.