New UEL head of fashion is designer to the stars

London fashion designer Beatrice Newman, who has dressed top stars such as Rita Ora, Alesha Dixon and Ellie Goulding, has joined the University of East London (UEL) as head of the fashion design department.

Ms Newman has made a career designing outfits for VIPs to wear at glamorous events such as awards ceremonies. She has also worked as a stylist and couturier. Her clients include the aforementioned trio, actor Anna Friel and singing group, The Noisettes. She won plaudits for her embroidery on a dress she designed for Ms Dixon just before the star's debut on TV's Britain's Got Talent.

Ms Newman, 31, who lives in Woolwich, has also scooped several design prizes, including $10,000 for topping the student category of the Hand and Lock Prize for embroidery and a £5,000 grant award from the Framework Knitters Guild.

Before joining UEL, Ms Newman worked as a fashion designer and freelance consultant, and taught at Ravensbourne University in North Greenwich for over five years. She began her career not long after earning a BA at De Montfort University in Leicester, working for a number of celebrities as a stylist, initially on editorial shoots. She has also completed an MA in Digital Fashion at London College of Fashion.

I am thrilled to be working at UEL, heading up their fashion design courses.

I am thrilled to be working at UEL, heading up their fashion design courses. It's a fantastic opportunity to nurture new talent and to help students to express their creativity through fresh ideas and concepts. Our UEL fashion design courses are a springboard for newcomers to discover their talent. Who knows? They might one day also become designers to top stars,"

Beatrice Newman, UEL head of fashion design,said.