Falmouth schoolgirl's talent for textiles (From Falmouth Packet)

Falmouth schoolgirl's talent for textiles

7:00am Tuesday 24th July 2012 in News By Greg Fountain, Reporter/Photographer

A Falmouth schoolgirl with a talent for textiles is getting ready to give the big name brands a run for their money.

Young entrepreneur Anna, from year seven at Falmouth School, has been heralded as a budding “businesswoman of the future” by her teachers after setting up a website to sell clothes she made herself.

The 12-year-old clever clothier makes a variety of glamorous garments and she has already sold some of her early work to family and friends.

She said: “I got some patterns off the internet and I thought I could make some of my own. They seemed pretty easy so I just gave it a go.

“I charge different prices depending on the costs of the material. I looked in the shops and I saw what their prices were and I just thought of how much I had put effort in when I set mine.”

Anna has been designing products for the past two years and she was inspired to start her haberdashery-heavy hobby after watching her favourite fashion shows on TV.

Some of her creations are sewn by hand, while others make use of a sewing machine, but all are crafted with patience, care and the use of a dress making model.

Dawn McColl, who takes care of business and enterprise studies at the school, said: “She’s got such a talent and it’s nice to see something positive.

“It’s hard for anybody to start a new business, particularly when you are 12, but we will help Anna and support her in any way we can.

“I think she’s got the design, the manufacturing and the website absolutely cracked – we just need to look at upping the marketing now, especially if she gets her stall.”

Anna is currently building up her stock of products so that she might be able to open a stall for her business, called “Anna’s Allsorts”, at one of the Poly’s handmade craft fairs later in the year.

In the meantime, however, Packet readers can check out her collection – and maybe grab themselves a bargain – at www.annasallsorts.wix.com/site .

Anna said: “I would love to do fashion design when I’m older.

“My friends all like my designs and they do wear them, which is quite nice – it makes you happy to see people wearing your designs.

“I’m excited about the future,” she added.