A designer has won a top industry award for work inspired by the Sussex countryside.

Gabrielle Vary, based in Mile Oak, has helped put the county’s budding fashion scene in the spotlight by winning at the My Country Business Awards 2014.

Gabrielle specialises in handmade luxury knitwear, with a focus on fashion and interior accessories.

Her work has vibrant colour and striking patterns, taking inspiration from a lifetime spent living by the sea.

She said: “Naturally, I’m thrilled to win this award, not only for the recognition it brings to my work, but because it creates awareness of the many young and talented designers we have working in Sussex’s thriving creative industries.

“My collection stems from my memories and nostalgia of a childhood spent growing up by the Sussex sea, in a part of the world that has always been confident and proud of its outdoor heritage.

“I love looking at pictures of my parents in the 70s, wearing knitted jumpers and camping in canvas tents.

"I absolutely adore the kind of bold colours we used to see then, washed-out blues and mustard yellows, which can be so powerful when recombined in a modern and contemporary way.”

To find out more about Gabrielle and her work visit www.gabriellevary.co.uk