Poem gives young designer the edge

Ellie Meyer's debut fashion collection, Pinned and Wriggling, is about to hit the national stage - she's one of just 12 students nationwide picked to display their work at the 2010 L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Student Showcase.

Yet to graduate from Curtin University of Technology, the 20-year-old has already wowed local and national critics with her designs interpreting insect and human anatomy with delicate, diaphanous fabrics and leather.

Meyer said a love of art in high school had spawned an interest in textile design and the conceptual, artistic side of fashion.

The capes and loose-fitting dresses of her new label Prufrock were inspired by the classic T. S. Eliot poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, which examines how humans are "pinned down" and examined according to social standards and ideals.

"It was interesting imagery to play with . . . I was looking at insect anatomy, with its very intricate layering and the difference between the fragility of the inside and hard exterior," she said.

"Symmetry was also a big thing - and I created some of my own insect prints on some of the fabrics, mainly beetles."

The latest accolade comes after Meyer won the Student Headspace Award at last year's Perth Fashion Festival, where she came first in evening wear and runner-up in women's wear.

From March to September, she will share a studio space in the city before showing another collection at the 2010 event.