OXFORD’S first fashion week has been hailed a success after hundreds of people flocked to catwalk shows across the city.

Six different events over the past week showcased designs from big industry names such as Alexander McQueen, French Connection, Zara and LK Bennett as well as talent from within the city.

Organiser Carl Anglim said: “It has gone fantastically well and it has been hugely busy, but hugely rewarding.

“I have been overwhelmed by the amount of interest there has been.

“The scale of the project grew much quicker than we anticipated and we feel it has been a fantastic success.”

A series of different events were held, from a fashion concept show celebrating unusual design at Freud’s in Walton Street, to a lingerie catwalk show, and a couture show of evening wear and cutting-edge outfits.

Among the unusual outfits displayed was a seven-foot denim patchwork wedding dress and matching umbrella, made by 17-year-old Oxford and Cherwell Valley College fashion student Rosie Dennington, from Eynsham.

She said: “It's been fantastic. The week’s given me such a great opportunity to show my clothes and I’ve been able to work behind the scenes every day at a big fashion event. You can’t buy experience like this.”

There was also a debate on whether fashion was an “unnecessary luxury” at the Oxford Union.

Mr Anglim, of Bullingdon Road, East Oxford, said: “The goal this year was to have different events in niche areas of fashion and we arranged them differently to see what worked, but we feel it has all been successful.

“It absolutely will happen again.”

Artists and designers were given space to exhibit their clothes on the runways and at events for free during the first city fashion week.

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