Victoria is the catwalk queen

Students with a passion for fashion turned back the clock to bring styles from the past back into the spotlight with a Victorian-themed catwalk show in the Black Country.

Models wearing beachwear reflecting styles from the 19th century and Victorian-inspired hats strutted their stuff along the runway at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

More than 90 outfits were shown off, designed by creative students from Wolverhampton University's School of Art and Design and talented pupils from two city schools.

The show, entitled The Grand Tour, was held to celebrate the art gallery's newly-refurbished Victorian room.

Several of the collections reflected different aspects of the Victorian era.

Nichola Bryan, a 19-year-old level one accessory student was among the talented students who saw her designs come to life on the catwalk.

She said her red and and black Victorian-style beachwear had been inspired by 19th century buildings in the West Midlands. Her collection included bathing costumes, beach dresses, feather boas and over-sized headwear. I looked around the region for interesting architecture and structure," she said.

"I took pictures of St Thomas' Cathedral in Birmingham and the train station in Wolverhampton and then put the patterns onto my clothes. The process took about three weeks."

Nichola, of Birmingham New Road, Wolverhampton, who has two years left at university, added she wanted to work in fashion when she graduates and "make a mark" on the industry.

Fashion fans also got a glimpse of work created by budding fashion designers from St Peter's Collegiate School and Heath Park Business and Enterprise College.

GCSE students, aged 15 and 16 from St Peter's, created the Morbid and Mysterious collection of dresses, focused on the gothic look.

Pupils Emma Morris-Jones, 16, of Pendeford and Vernessa Rose, 16, of Penn, said they were delighted to be part of the show and thought it was cool to see their designs.