Dress designer scoops a £1,000 business grant (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Dress designer scoops a £1,000 business grant

A DESIGNER who has worked on Oscar dresses for the likes of Julia Roberts and Uma Thurman has scooped Wootton Bassett's new business of the year award.

Children's clothes designer Emma Turk, 32, of Broad Hinton, has been named the winner after impressing judges with her business plan for a luxury girlswear collection called Emmie. She received £1,000.

She said: "I'm delighted and will put the money towards an embroidering machine. My aim is to launch the collection prior to Christmas and I'm confident it will do well."

Mrs Turk has freelanced for Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Laura Ashley, United Colours of Benetton and has worked on a variety of Oscar dresses when working in Italy for Alberta Ferretti.

Mrs Turk, who is married and has a 15-year-old stepson, did her A-levels at Wootton Bassett School before graduating with an MA from the Royal College of Art in London in 1998.

Her collection will be launched with a red-themed Russian princess line and this will be followed by a white Snowqueen line.