STUDENTS at Barrow Sixth Form College proved that they had an eye for fashion back in 1994.

Pupils at the college showed themselves as being a very capable and innovative group as their work received praise from their peers, teachers and from the public when it was reported by The Mail.

Some colour was brought to a dull day when A-level textile and art students showcased their impressive clothes designs and inventive patterns.

The course was only in its second year at the college but an array of imaginative coats, dresses, trousers, jackets and hats had already been modelled during a fashion show and another was being planned by choreographer and sociology tutor Sue De Gruyther.

Despite being only in its early stages of development, the course had made significant progress in its first year, and hopes were high that its second year would be just as successful.

A significant amount of its success was courtesy of the students’ efforts.

The designs included a jazzy patchwork pair of trousers that had been painstakingly sewn together by Ireleth’s Eleanor Postlethwaite and a wedding dress made of scraps of different kinds of white and cream material by Millom’s Susie Helme.

At that year’s prizegiving awards night, Miss Helme was honoured with the Prize for Art.

The textiles course continued to be a success. Its five-year anniversary was marked by a fashion show that was presented by Granada Tonight co-anchor Elaine Wilcox.

In other college news from the archives, in 1997 it installed a state-of-the-art security system that would make thieves and vandals think twice about breaking in during the summer break.

Five cameras were installed at various points of the perimeter and they were linked to a monitor that could record images all through the day to ensure every part of the college was under observation. This was a welcomed change for both staff members and pupils.

Estate director Fred Marshall said: “Hopefully this will act as a deterrent to people. We don’t have many break-ins but you never know.”