As part of a major collaboration with Fenwick, students will be working in the windows of the department store putting the final touches to their collections before displaying them on the catwalk in both the Newcastle and London Graduate Fashion shows.

In one window, fashion marketing students will be styling some photoshoots while in another textile students will have their work on display.

The windows highlight is part of an exciting alliance with Fenwick in the form of the Fenwick Fashion Award. Experts from the store will select the industry winner at the Newcastle Fashion Show on 2 June with the winner seeing their outfit for sale in the French Salon.

Christopher Hodge, programme leader for fashion at Northumbria University, said: "The School of Design at Northumbria University already has many contacts with industrial partners who play a pivotal role in giving our students valuable experience through industrial placements and live project opportunities.

"This award, however, offers our students something truly innovative and having an outfit made up and for sale would be an important first step in developing a professional career within the fashion industry for any one of our final year students."

Head of Marketing and Creative at Fenwick Lindsey Mckenna added: "It is a real privilege to be able to work closely with the students and play a part in them becoming designers of the future.

"Our mutual dedication to cutting-edge fashion and commitment to the North East makes this a really exciting partnership. It's also a chance for shoppers to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the hard work that goes into fashion design."

Tickets for the Newcastle Fashion Show, to be held this year on Monday, 2 June at The Sage, Gateshead, can be bought online at http://northumbria.ac.uk/sd/academic/scd/news/622557 Tickets are still available for the 5pm show but the 8pm show is now sold out.