A BRIERFIELD student is expected to wow London's fashion elite later this year after scooping a prestigious national award.

Aitor Throup, 23, a final year fashion student at Manchester Metropolitan University, won the Australian Wool Innovation Travel Award, from the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce.

The £2,500 prize was awarded for his unique men's fashion creations made from leather, wool and other fabrics, described by one judge as "a kind of Mongolian streetwear".

Aitor, whose family are originally from Buenos Aries in Argentina, has lived in Massey Lane, Brierfield, for four years, but will be heading to the bright lights of London later this year to study for a master's degree in fashion at the Royal College of Arts.

His winning designs will now be displayed along with other winners' work in an online exhibition at www.rsa-design.net

University staff also predict Aitor will be among the stars of the prestigious London Graduate Fashion week where he plans to exhibit designs inspired by equestrian fashion and may even use a figure of a horse as a model.

Aitor plans to use part of his winnings to travel to Australia to take part in an educational programme after he completes his final year of undergraduate study this summer.

He said: "It's a great honour to win a national award.

"When I was growing up I was always into drawing and never really thought about fashion.

"But then I got into designer clothes and started drawing the ideal things that I would like to wear.

"Now I focus on the concept of what I'm doing, rather than whether I would wear it. Fashion is an outlet for my creativity.

"I'm really excited about going to Australia and pursuing a career in fashion design."

Alison Welsh, leader of the university's prestigious fashion degree course, described Aitor as an "outstanding" student.

She said: "It's very exciting for him to have won this award."