A budding fashion designer said she was left “stunned” after being invited to take part in London Fashion Week.

When Rochelle Melbourne, of Crown Parade, Southgate, submitted an application to be part of the up and coming show at one of the busiest fashion weeks in the world, she did not expect to hear anything back.

Ms Melbourne said: “It was incredible. I did not expect anything from it and then I got a call the next day asking me to go on, I was in complete shock.”

After graduating from Middlesex University doing fashion design, the 27-year-old first honed her sewing skills with her grandma back in Birmingham, where she grew up.

She said: “I did my first show last year and had some amazing comments that spurred me on to apply for London Fashion Week.”

Ms Melbourne has been working day and night to prepare her collection of haute couture pieces and has set up her own online boutique Forever Devine.

Yet the mother-of-one would not be tempted to give a sneak peak of what is to come on September 19.

She said: “It is going to be the biggest show of my career so far. I have dreamed about creating my own clothing boutique and to one day open my own store in central London.”

However, it has not been all plain sailing for the fashion designer, after she was left in hospital last year with a hernia, putting all her hard work at risk.

Her partner, Elia Mahoney, told the Enfield Independent: “She has been so strong to come through those times and deserves this chance. She works incredibly hard at all hours to get her pieces finished - I always knew that she would make it one day.”

Ms Melbourne added: “I don’t think it will sink in until the night, all my family will be there and I hope they will be impressed with my work.”