Heriot-Watt student Kimberly Alphonso has won the Grazia/Swarovski Young Designer of the year competition. Kimberly (19) is a first year student from the University's Dubai Campus.
The award was presented before 500 guests at a glittering dinner hosted by the Grazia fashion magazine in Dubai.
Vanessa Northway, Academic Head said "It was truly an amazing evening and Kimberley has worked so hard to achieve this prestigious award."
As part of her prize, Kimberly will travel to Austria to work with the design team at the Swarovski headquarters.
Another Heriot€“Watt student, Krupa Vyas (17), was also a finalist in the competition. She has secured a work placement at Swarovski in Dubai.
Kimberly and Krupa made the final after judges hunted through piles of sketches from students at four of the leading design schools in the region.
They were tasked with designing "high street wear" themed garments. Kimberly said that her designs, "embody modern Arabia: traditional fashion with a modern touch," while Krupa said that she is, "inspired by the architecture of Paris: the mirrors and mosaics in Versailles".