Canadian Club

James Steward has created pieces for Kylie Minogue, Victoria Beckham and Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, although his greatest exposure probably came with the wedding dresses he created recently for Coronation Street, with both Becky and Molly wearing his creations on-screen.

Meanwhile, Lisa Jayne Dann's designs constantly crop up in style and gossip magazines – only last week, Kerry Katona was snapped wearing one of her pieces.

Now James and Lisa, both 34, are hoping to spread their names even further afield when they fly out to Vancouver Fashion Week, having been invited to stage guest shows as part of a drive to put Yorkshire firmly on the fashion map.

Now in its 10th year, Vancouver Fashion Week begins on November 3 and is recognised as a global platform for established and up-and-coming designers. The small Leeds delegation that James and Lisa form part of will also take especially commissioned pieces other Leeds-based designers, including Beth Hirst Couture Hats, to showcase the creative talent and eclectic retail mix on offer in the city.

Twice winner of Yorkshire Brides Couture Designer of the Year, James Steward is originally from Hull and trained at the Kent Institute of Art & Design, after which he worked with couture houses in Italy and with Ben de Lisi in London. He launched his first collection at Aqua in Leeds and now has his own label working from his own studio in Farsley in Leeds, designing mainly eveningwear and bridal, which he makes himself. "It's for people who are looking for something more unique, that goes against tradition," he says. "Going to Vancouver will potentially give us a market in North America and elsewhere. There will be buyers there from Los Angeles and New York and, as it's covered by Fashion TV, it will go global.

"Yorkshire really is the home of textiles, and I feel incredibly lucky to have this resource on my doorstep. Some of the fashion powerhouses, such as Burberry and Armani, use fabrics from Yorkshire mills, which are then tailored in Milan before heading back to the UK to be sold in luxury retailers, and I love exploring the life cycle of the product."

Lisa Jayne Dann is originally from Boston, Lincolnshire, and trained the Dewsbury College of Art & Design. She started working with James as a pattern cutter and launched her own label in 2002, through Aqua Couture. Her designs are sold throughout the UK in independent boutiques, her own online boutique and on Asos.com, and also in Saudi Arabia. She and her team make the samples in Leeds and the clothes are

manufactured in Kent and in Europe.

"I was going out in Leeds and girls always liked what I was wearing," she says. "My mum taught me to sew. As my label has grown and the boutique has grown, it's gone from skimpy clubwear to more mature formalwear, as I have matured. "

Director of Vancouver Fashion Week, Jamal Abdourahman, said: " This is the first time we have had British designers showcasing and we are really looking forward to seeing their collections on the catwalk."

To check out the designers, go to www.jamessteward.co.uk and www.lisajaynedann.co.uk. For more information on Leeds in Vancouver visit www.leedsliveitloveit.com.

Next Wednesday, October 20, James Steward and Rebecca Charles hair salon will stage a Clash of the Titans fashion and hair event at the Rebecca Charles salon on Duncan Street in Leeds, starting 6pm, as part of Leeds Loves shopping. For tickets, email: [email protected].

CREDITS

Clothes and styling: James Steward and Lisa Jayne Dann

Location: James Steward's studio at Farsley in Leeds

Models: Rosita Rogers and Beth Taylor

Hair: Rebecca Armitage at Rebecca Charles in Leeds. Tel: 0113 234 6120

Make-up: Jamie Edwards at Nars at Harvey Nichols Leeds.