WHEN fashion designer Joanne McGillivray's dress hit high street store Marks and Spencer earlier this month she had no idea it would be so successful.

The 24-year-old, from East Kilbride, was stunned to find out the £39.50 dress had sold out from the Argyle Street branch in the first week.

And the little black dress is just one highlight of her promising career which has seen her scoop the Scottish Fashion Awards' Graduate of the Year in 2012.

She has just taken a major step forward after releasing the look book for her first collection, which was inspired by a trip to St Petersburg in Russia, and is now working on securing stockists.

Speaking from her city centre studio, Joanne, who lives in Glasgow's West End, said: "The dress I designed to win the award was put into production by M&S and has just went into stores.

"The Argyle Street store sold out of it in the first week, I couldn't believe it."

Joanne, who graduated with a Fashion Design for Industry degree at the Heriot-Watt University in Galashiels, was given the opportunity to intern with M&S in London after her win at the fashion awards.

She said: "The dress is black, cowled at the front and cinched in at the waist. There's elements of it that can complement so many different people.

"I always keep in mind the customer."

Joanne has worked with designer Kinder Aggugini, assisting him in catwalk collections as well as his collaboration with the English National Ballet.

She said: "I also worked in Selfridges as a personal shopper.

"That helped me see what customers want out their clothes. I got to see what my potential customers like in clothes."

But ultimately Joanne, who went to Claremont High School, says experience in dressmaking came from her family.

She said: "Making clothes is something I've been doing from really young age.

"My papa used to make a lot of clothes for his daughters and my mum, Angela, was a seamstress.

"I naturally fell into it.

"My mum's been really good with me. She showed me how to sew and I picked up the rest of the skills on the way."

Joanne says her debut collection, which is a swirl of colours thanks to digital designs printed onto the garments at Glasgow School of Art, is a "modern twist on simple classic style".

SHE said: "It is inspired by a trip I went on to St Petersburg with my family last summer.

"It's called Russian Revolution."

Joanne hopes her label will target the premium market, alongside brands such as Acne, Vanessa Bruno or Maje.

The designer's own style echoes in her work and she looks up to former child actor and designer Ashley Olsen as well as Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci and, West of Scotland-born Christopher Kane.

She said: "When Christopher Kane won Scottish Fashion Designer of the Year last year I was lucky enough to meet him.

"We were all really busy standing backstage but I managed to say hi to him and congratulate him on his win.

"I was so nervous but I had to do it."

Joanne is currently working alongside Entrepreneurial Sparks, in the Gorbals, which helps start-up businesses.

She still can't believe how far along in her career she is and is already mapping out the future.

"I sometimes pinch myself over the process of what's happened," she said.

"I've had so much support from friends and family at home.

"Now it's about looking for stockists, getting the collection ready to be manufactured and be sold.

"Then we'll start on the new collection."

rachel.loxton@ eveningtimes.co.uk