York Designer Represents 'Best of British'
12 June 2012
YORK DESIGNER
REPRESENTS ‘BEST OF BRITISH’
A product designer from York is hoping that
creative design, quality products and contracts with major national
retailers will be enough to fight off stiff competition and take
her one step closer to being crowned National University
Entrepreneur 2012.
York St John University graduate Heather
Alstead was shortlisted in the competition finals, which take place
at York Racecourse on Tuesday 19th June, on the strength
of her ‘100% British’ range of products for house and home.
The ‘in house’ fairy tale-inspired product
range includes products manufactured using British steel, acrylic
and other materials.
The National University Entrepreneur
competition finals form part of the Olympic Torch celebrations at
York Racecourse. Inspired by the 2012 Olympics, and organised
by The Training Gateway, the National Centre for Entrepreneurship
in Education, UK Trade and Investment and the University of York,
the competition celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit within UK
universities.
The ten finalists, whittled down from 50
applications from universities throughout the country, will each
have three minutes to pitch their business or product idea to a
five-strong judging panel drawn from the world of business and
enterprise.
Four winners will be selected on Friday, who
will then present their business plans at a 'Dragons' Den' event
during London 2012. The ‘dragons’ include Enterprise Nation
founder, Emma Jones; one of the BBC’s original TV dragons, Doug
Richard; executive chairman of the National Centre for
Entrepreneurship in Education, David Frost; and Cambridge
University Entrepreneur in Residence, Professor Alan Barrell.
Heather Alstead is one of four finalists from
the north of England. Following her graduation from York St
John University, the university’s Business School secured mentoring
support for her from successful Yorkshire entrepreneur Graham
Whitby, one of the first people to appear on the BBC Dragons’ Den
series in 2005.
Heather says it was her ‘100% British’ message
that caught the eye of the National University Entrepreneur
competition judges, and that her new product range reflects her
passion for British design and materials:
“My aim is to create well made products from
high quality, materials sourced here in the UK. I take
inspiration from every aspect of my life and my work reflects
classic British literature as well as subverting the well-known,”
she says.
Heather’s 100% British range is
inspired by fairy tales, with products including Goldilocks and the
three bears coat hooks; bookends; a hickory dickory clock and a
range of acrylic mirrors.
She will officially launch the products this
weekend at the Pulse retail gift, homeware and lifestyle
trade show in London, with several products already on sale in
Selfridges stores across the UK and a second major high street
retailer lined up to stock the range.
For more information about Heather Alstead’s
products, visit http://www.heatheralsteaddesign.com/