Orkney designer Kirsteen Stewart has climbed a further level in her career as a pioneer in the fashions of tomorrow.

Kirsteen (24) from Kirkwall graduated from the University of Northumberland in fashion design, specialising in textiles. Since setting up business around a year ago, her work has drawn increasing interest for its innovation and contemporary appeal.

So Kirsteen was the natural choice to co-organise a fashion show at a conference entitled 'the digital future' in Aviemore last week, at the request of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

Kirsteen worked with Elena Corchero, a researcher previously from Media Lab Europe, to provide a range of clothing that married the best of Highlands and Islands design with aspects of hi-technology which is entering the fashion world. These include 'smart textiles' which carry electronic sensors. Some 'nano-enabled' new textiles are able to communicate with each other, and even transmit information on physical stresses and strains.

Kirsteen met Elena when she visited Orkney last September and sought Kirsteen's help to learn more about weaving. The pair went on to organise a fashion show together which was so successful they were keen to work with one another again.

Kirsteen's work is on sale at the Concrete Wardrobe in Edinburgh and will shortly be on exhibition at the Lighthouse in Glasgow.

"I had just been at the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival, so I only had a small range to exhibit at 'the digital future', but the whole show went very well," said Kirsteen, "I'm getting ready for the next collection and preparing for a small exhibition in Orkney. Meanwhile I've got enough orders to keep me going and long may that continue!"