Designer Charlotte saves the day for catwalk and Bollywood beauty Amy Jackson

Designer Charlotte saves the day for catwalk and Bollywood beauty Amy Jackson
Published: Sep 08, 2010

When Miss Liverpool and rising Bollywood star Amy Jackson found herself without a stitch to wear ahead of a national pageant, she knew just the person to stop her dreams unravelling.

Amy, who was just a week away from competing in the Miss England finals, contacted 2010 BA (Hons) Theatre and Performance Design graduate Charlotte Hudders.

Charlotte had been in the Liverpool press after making a unique dress from recyclable shopping bags for city boutique Cricket. Her creation was a piece of art-meets-couture that also appeared in the pages of style bible Vogue.

And it was Charlotte’s skill at incorporating unusual materials into her designs that captured the attention of contender Amy, who needed an “eco dress” for the pageant.

Charlotte explained: “It was the day after graduation and I went on my email and saw I had one from her. She had seen the Cricket dress in the shop window and really liked it.

“I was really chuffed. It was my first freelance job and came just at the right time, and was hopefully the first of many to come.”

Charlotte Hudders

The 23-year-old immediately set to work making a striking two-piece from a pair of colourful curtains that a cousin in Jamaica had sent and that had been in storage at her parents’ home in Lancashire.

Amy, who was Miss Teen World 2008, finished in third place at the September 1 pageant finals.  She is also carving out a career as a silver screen actor, having recently become an overnight star in India. Amy was cast as the heroine in the new Bollywood period drama Madrasapattinam, after film-makers saw pictures of her on the Internet. 

As part of her three-year programme, Charlotte, who has just launched her own website – charlottehudders.com – worked on various practical projects from costume, fashion and set design to live art and puppetry.
 

Top: Amy Jackson wearing Charlotte Hudders' "eco dress" . Picture courtesy of Paul Fisher Photography.

Bottom: Charlotte Hudders during her time at LIPA

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