Designer wins pitch at famous London market (From Your Local Guardian)

Designer wins pitch at famous London market

7:40am Thursday 16th February 2012 in Business News By Lauren May

A young entrepreneur has won a free pitch trading at London’s famous Portobello market.

Jo Hawtree, 24, graduated from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), in Epsom, in 2010 with a degree in fashion and will be following in the footsteps of designers Vivienne Westwood and Ozwald Boateng by selling her designs at the market.

The fashion designer won the pitch after entering a competition, run by the Market Enterprise Launch Pad (MELP), delivering a successful ‘dragon’s den’ style pitch to judges.

She said: "It was extremely nerve wracking but I managed to get my ambition and passion to succeed across to the judges.

"Portobello Market is such a famous and respected market.

"Winning the competition is a golden opportunity to promote my business and start selling my garments to the public with me as the face of the business, offering a personalised service to my customers."

Miss Hawtree runs her own menswear label, Gunsmoke and Lavender, and her collection was recently featured in fashion magazine, Harper’s Bazaar.

For more information visit gunsmokeandlavender.com