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Jessica's shirts are tailor made for success

A Northumbria University graduate is up against students, ex-students and teaching staff from universities across the region in a competition that celebrates creative business talent.

Fashion Marketing graduate Jessica McLean from Ponteland has set up her own made to measure shirt business, Garbeau, a tailoring service aimed primarily at professional sportsmen who find it difficult to get shirts that fit due to their body shape and size.

Jessica’s business is now through to the final of Blueprint 2008 - the North East Universities Business Planning Competition - in the Creativity & Design and main Business Award categories. Jessica will find out whether she has won at the Final award ceremony on Thursday 23 October at the Hilton hotel in Gateshead.

Garbeau has already been successfully trading for three months with contracts including Ireland’s Connacht Rugby Club and a well known Southern based sports club. Jessica is now also in negotiation with two North East sports clubs who are interested in placing club orders for the team.

Jessica said: “We are now finding that customers are contacting us, and word of mouth promotion has had a huge impact on our sales. The website, due to be launched in November, will mean that customers can order online just in time for Christmas!

“I am so excited to be through to the final of the Blueprint business planning competition in two categories. This award is so prestigious and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I do well on the night as winning the award would mean so much to me and the development of the business.”

Jessica hopes to take on a series of fashion design work experience students next year to help her with the Garbeau Designer range.

Garbeau can be contacted on 0191 499 8560. For more about Blueprint, go to www.blueprintcompetition.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .