Aminata Kulufua and a model in her design Photo: FAD

Fashion Awareness Direct, a creative charity, is offering young people an opportunity to take part in next year’s London Fashion Week.

Fashion students aged between 18 and 25 studying at UK colleges and universities are invited to participate in the FAD Competition. The deadline for the application is November 25.

Under the theme of “Traces”, this year’s competition will grant £2,000 and a work placement for the first prizewinner and £1,000 each and a work placement for two runner-ups. The finalists will showcase their collection at the Catwalk Final in February 2010 at Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s new venue, The Freemason’s Hall in Covent Garden.

This year’s 23 finalists who saw their work on the catwalk, as part of the London Fashion Week in September, included four from Hackney and five from Lewisham.

Katerina Drury, 18, of New Cross, won the 2009 FAD Junior Awards with her creations inspired by Lady Gaga, and was given a two-week placement with the editor-in-chief of Volt Magazine, Rui Faria.

Aminata Kulufua, 19, from BSix College in Hackney, was among the finalists and is awaiting her work experience at River Island that begins on December 7. She said: “I felt like this was my calling. This is what I am meant to do with my life.”