A High Harrington hat designer had one of her creations on show at this week’s London Hat Week.

Samantha Bateman, 25, said the experience of exhibiting at the fashion event was amazing.

Her creation at the Milliner x Artisan exhibition was a 1930s-inspired mustard pillbox base with traditional veiling and an oversized floral bow.

Samantha, who studied contemporary applied arts at the University of Cumbria and has set up her own business SB Millinery, said: “I was really excited about going to London Hat Week, as at the beginning of the year I set myself a goal of one day getting to go, but I never thought it would be as soon as this year.

“I was nervous, as the fashion industry is very critical, but I was overwhelmed with how nice all the milliners were towards each other and their work.”

It was Samantha’s first big event since she started designing hats as a hobby at university.

She said: “I’ve had to open my 2017 diary as orders have started to roll in. I have also begun to gather contacts since the event, which is brilliant for me to start moving forward on marketing on a bigger level.

“Being able to say I have exhibited at London Hat Week itself is a major plus for my business.”