Students studying fashion and textiles at South Birmingham College were set the challenge of turning £30 of material from the famous Birmingham Rag Markets into an outfit that could be sold in Harvey Nichols.

Fifteen of the 80 students that took part in the competition have been shortlisted to showcase their designs on the catwalk in a bid to be crowned the Rags to Riches winner.

Judges included Constantine Tziambazis, retail manager at Harvey Nichols, and Kat Keogh, a correspondent at the Birmingham Mail and Post, which sponsored the event.

Eileen Simons, assistant director of fashion studies at the college said: “This is a great achievement, especially for those in their first year of the course who are just learning these skills.”