Cutting edge design earns top fashion prize for Halesowen IT teacher (From Halesowen News)

Cutting edge design earns top fashion prize for Halesowen IT teacher

2:10pm Tuesday 23rd October 2012 in News

PUPILS at a Halesowen school cheered their IT specialist as they watched him scoop a top fashion design title on national TV.

Stephen Arthur, who works part-time at Newfield Primary School, swapped keyboard and mouse for needle and thread to design and help make a glamorous gown for Christmas parties to win the This Morning competition.

The 21-year-old’s prize for securing 40 per cent of the votes in the live finals is to have his dress sold in John Lewis stores around the country and online.

He also looks set to scoop a sponsorship deal to enable him to study fashion design in London.

“When they called me to tell me I had been shortlisted I was gobsmacked,” said Mr Arthur. who was one of 20,000 hopefuls.

Although working in IT at Newfield and at a Stourbridge school, he has qualifications in illustrative drawing and design and has been inspired towards fashion design by his mother and aunt who taught him pattern cutting and textiles.