SHE has worked for style king Julien Macdonald, designed for top high street brands and was at model Lily Donaldson's first casting.

But Cardonald College graduate Mairi McDonald has just taken the biggest risk of her career so far.

The 32-year-old, who lives in Shawlands, has launched her own clothing line - and she unveiled her debut spring/summer collection during the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival last month.

The pieces, which are made from luxury fabrics including lace, silk and leather, are inspired by rock 'n' roll women; from 1960s stars Marianne Faithfull and Anita Pallenberg to Kate Moss and Florence Welch.

Speaking in her Glasgow studio, Mairi said she approached fashion festival director Anna Freemantle because "you just have to put yourself out there".

She said: "I didn't think the festival would take on up and coming designers.

"I just had swathes of fabric at that point, back in April.

"But they were really positive. Anna took a bit of gamble on me."

Largs-born Mairi said she enjoyed every minute of her first couture show.

"A lot of my pieces are hard to turn over quickly - there's a lot of buttons and fasteners.

"So the Obscure Couture girls and Rebecca Torres were helping me out, getting shoes on the models so we could get them out quickly.

"I thought that was really nice."

Mairi said that helpful spirit of fashion exists at the top end of the game, too.

And she should know.

After completing a fashion design and manufacture course at Cardonald she went on to study womenswear at the London College of Fashion.

Mairi said the applicants were told not get their hopes up.

However, the college was so impressed with the Cardonald students' portfolios that an interviewer flew to Glasgow.

"She absolutely loved my folio," said Mairi. "She couldn't believe the kinds of things we were showing her. That really opened doors.

"The reason I decided to go to London was because I was going to do a placement there anyway."

Mairi was working for Julien Macdonald, who was head designer at Givenchy at the time.

He asked her to stay on and Mairi said her highlight was making a jacket for the Paris catwalk shows.

"I'm really down to earth and I wouldn't imagine myself in those places," said Mairi.

"But high end fashion is really down to earth. Everyone I spoke to was very friendly.

"Katie Grand (top stylist and editor-in-chief of Love Magazine) would be styling shows wearing her Converse and jeans."

"There's no egos or aspirations."

Mairi remembers the first day she met a top model.

"I remember making cups of tea for Lily Donaldson during her first ever casting," she said.

"She was in her school uniform and trainers. She said she was nervous and I said: 'Why, have you seen yourself?'"

"It's nice to see somebody at the start of their career, then they are on the front of magazine."

Mairi's first job was in London with a company called Nocturn, set up by designers from Karen Millen.

Mairi had to trawl vintage markets in Paris and London for inspiration.

She said: "I've always loved vintage, so I really enjoyed doing this.

"Even in Portobello Market on a Friday you would be at the same stalls as (British designer) Alice Temperley and people like that.

"Everyone's looking for inspiration there."

Mairi said she still sifts through the rails at Glasgow vintage stores, including Mr Ben, Starry Starry Night and The City.

For the two years before she decided to go it alone, Mairi worked as a menswear designer at USC.

"This is so different to anything I've done.," said Mairi. "You're putting yourself out there.

"My biggest influence is punk, boho and rock 'n' roll. But for me people are more influential than designers. I like getting a muse in mind and working to what I'd see them wearing."

As well as teaching at Cardonald, writing a style blog for our sister paper's website Herald Scotland, Mairi is now hoping to find stockists for her clothes before starting next season's line.

She said: "You have to have no fear of rejection.

"I think I'm probably at the right age and stage of my career when that doesn't bother me.

"I'm really proud of what I've achieved so far."

rachel.loxton@eveningtimes.co.uk