Yorkshire fashion designer Bo Carter to launch AW22 Iceland inspired collection with a Leeds charity fashion show

“I took part in the Great Norse Run, which was an adventure to get from the north to the south of Iceland in 10 days. We covered 206 miles, which was on average a marathon a day. This truly was one of the best experiences ever.”

Leeds-based fashion designer Bo decided that she should create a new collection of womenswear reflecting those incredible experiences, of the country and of the camaraderie she found with fellow runners.

“That run in Iceland was very much about the people I shared that adventure with,” she says. “It is a very special and magical collection. I have named it Átta, which in Icelandic means ‘eight’. Every time we asked how far it was to the next break, one of the run co-organisers, Nick Carter, used to say, “About eight miles”. It became a running joke and brings really happy memories. It is much easier to run eight miles than 206 miles.”

Bo (short for Bozena) was born in Poland at a time when it offered little but empty shelves. She created her own imaginary world by designing and cutting out paper clothes for her paper dolls. Aged 21, she moved to the UK and trained to be an accountant, then worked in the NHS for a number of years. She still works as an office administrator in Leeds and lives in Batley with her photographer partner Steve Gabbett. Her studio is there too, where she designs and makes all her clothes.

She became a fashion designer 12 years ago, after entering a Leeds Fashion Week competition to find new talent. Within months she had created a complete womenswear collection which she showed in the US at Virginia Fashion Week, followed by exhibitions in Malta, Iceland, Baltimore, Bangalore and around the UK. Now Bo Carter designs sell across the world, via her own website and also through independent-promoting online retailers including Wolf & Badger. In 2013 won Most Talented New Designer at the PETA UK Vegan Fashion Awards and ever since has developed a niche as an independent ethical designer working with end-stock and unwanted fabrics. Long before others nailed their colours to the mast of sustainability, Bo was a true pioneer.

Signature details of the Átta collection include voluminous puffed sleeves. The fabrics are mainly organic, including cords, soft fleeces and roll ends from well-known print designers. “Their wastage means our treasures,” she says. “I am very happy to be able to get more bright colours in organic fabrics. There are still some limitations in organic fabrics but the lovely people at Organic Textile Company in Wales, where I get most of my fabric, have now got those super bright organic fleeces and I love them. I always get inspired by fashion from the Seventies, and I think it is certainly visible in the Átta collection.”

She has also introduced knitted and crocheted designs, working with local crafts people, Anna, Tom, Catherine and Ellen. “They are all based in West Yorkshire and I am really looking forward to expanding knitting and crocheting,” she says.

Each design in the Átta collection has an Icelandic name. The photoshoot, of course, took place in Iceland. “We travelled to Landmannalaugar, which is the most spectacular place on earth,” she says. “It is a vast area of stunning and unique beauty in the heart of Iceland's southern highlands.”

“Zoe Opal came and made a short video of it, which is pretty cool. I managed to get original music from an amazing artist called Eivor and it is just the most perfect combination. I can't wait to show this to everyone.”

The video and music will feature in the fashion show that Bo is staging at Archive in Leeds on November 10. She has gathered together fellow Yorkshire designers including Mallin & Son and Hachure Active to join her on the catwalk, and the proceeds will go to the charity Smart Works Leeds, which supports unemployed women in Yorkshire back into work by giving them interview clothes, coaching and confidence.

The Bo Carter Fashion Show in aid of Smart Works Leeds takes place on Thursday, November 10, 7-10pm at Archive, 94 Kirkstall Road, Leeds LS3 1HD. Email [email protected] for tickets or buy on the door on the night.Smart Works Leeds celebrates its third birthday at a special dinner and drinks event at Manahatta in Leeds on Friday, November 11, from 6-10pm. There will be entertainment, guest speakers includingSmart Works Leeds ambassador Natalie Anderson, and a fashion shop with designer brands at discounted prices. Tickets cost £30 and there will be tables of up to 10 available if people would like to come as a group. For tickets email: [email protected].