Teenage fashion designer from Waterlooville makes an impression at model workshop with newspaper dress

College student Madeleine Haddock spent two weeks creating an outfit made from newspaper and tissue paper designed to wow onlookers at a model workshop.

Madeleine, from Waterlooville, had to wear an outfit on the theme of paper - and wanted to go the extra mile by creating the whole look herself, juggling college and a part-time job with creating her masterpiece.

She started by creating a mood board of ideas, and playing around with various types of paper before settling on her final design.

With grandparents donating the newspapers and a base dress bought from a charity shop, the recycled outfit certainly made an impression when it was unveiled at the event run by Dani Geddes Photography in Portsmouth.

Fashion-lover Madeleine, who was over the moon with the compliments, said: ‘There were lots of gasps and I wondered if they were at me because they never usually are, but they were - I was quite happy with my masterpiece.’

The 16-year-old, who attends Chichester College, has been interested in fashion and design since she was 10 years old, and studied fashion and drama at The Petersfield School before starting a performing arts college course.

After seeing the hard work put into the paper dress, proud mum Wendy said: ‘I’m shocked by it, I can’t believe she’s done it. Most of the people made other people make their dresses but she took her own ideas and did it all by herself.

‘I’m amazed by it. She’s been a little fashionista since about three.’

The model workshops see entrants compete for various titles including who’s got the best dress and who is most creative, with Madeleine winning a previous red carpet themed event where the models had to have action shots taken.

A bright future seems to beckon for Madeleine in the fashion and design industry, and she recently walked the catwalk at London Fashion Week for Marie Belle Couture.

Madeleine said: ‘It was amazing, I absolutely loved it, best thing ever. I want to do it again.’