Alternative Fashion Week kicks off

Alternative Fashion Week is an annual event where students and fashion rising stars showcase their designs to a cheery East London crowd.

The Circus Collection by Zoran Anogvic from Croatia

Taking place in Spitalfields Traders Market off Brushfield Street in EC1, the catwalk bursts with the original, the innovative and the occasional barmy design making it the perfect place for fashion-hunters to talent scout but also for passers-by to indulge in some creativity – all are welcome! Organiser Maggie Pinhorn from Alternative Arts explains: "This is fashion on the edge, risky, experimental, fashion for the future. It’s not about money or material success but inspiration and ideology, how to have designer fashion in the current financial climate, credit crunch couture, offering a world of real opportunities "

Designers hail from across the globe, from Colchester to Croatia, and AFW also takes care to raise environmental awareness and actively supports fashion that uses recycling and ethical sourcing. There is a daily Fashion Market where you can buy designs straight from the catwalk. Perviously, the event has hosted collections from Gareth Pugh and Sky Project Catwalk winner Jasper Garvida. Alternative Fashion Week 2009 is sponsored by Rescue Cream and is free to attend but there is a daily collection for local charity the Spitalfields Crypt Trust, so please pop some money in the bucket before you leave!

Alternative Fashion Week takes place from the 20 – 24th April 2009, shows are at 1.15pm daily. For daily catwalk reports, photos and videos visit www.fuk.co.uk.