Award-winning student returns to DMU to mark 70 years of Contour Fashion

By Sophie Sandberg

Award-winning graduate Elissa Grainger returned to De Montfort University this week to mark the 70^th anniversary of the Contour Fashion course, which is the oldest of its kind in the world.

Miss Grainger, 21, graduated from the course in 2015 and is one of many successful Contour Fashion graduates from DMU.

She has since then started her own lingerie brand ‘Elissa Poppy’, designing high fashion and quality lingerie in latex.

Some of these designs are now also displayed in the ‘showcase’ space in the Vijay Patel building on the DMU campus as a celebration of the anniversary.

“I feel so privileged to be part of the celebrations,” she said. “It’s so nice to be able to give something back to a course which has given me so much.”

With innovative designs, ‘Elissa Poppy’ was announced ASOS Fashion Discovery 2016, the winner of the St Andrews Young Designer Award 2016 and the winner of The Rising Star Award at the Lingerie Awards 2016.

“To have the support of ASOS and so many industry experts is incredible. It’s really given me the confidence to push forward and achieve my goals,” said Elissa.

The course marked its 70^th anniversary just days after programme leader Gillian Proctor was announced as a top name in the British lingerie industry, bringing even more prestige to the internationally acclaimed course.

The Contour Fashion scheme was started at DMU in 1947 to support Leicester’s, at that time flourishing, corset industry and has now expanded into creating lingerie, swimwear, nightwear and sportswear.