Shoes made from rice were the toast of London Fashion week thanks to an environmental project backed by the University of East Anglia.

The UEA's Incrops project tasked fashion students at London's Kingston University to come up with designs using sustainable materials.

And one student designed high heels made from rice which hit the catwalk on Monday night.

Julia Skergeth's concept for a high-heeled shoe using rice, silicon and bio-resin, won her a place at London Fashion Week's largest independent showcase, Vauxhall Fashion Scout.

The 21-year-old said: 'I just love crystals, diamonds and all the sparkly embellishments that finish so many luxury fashion items.

'This project, however, asked us to create sustainable luxury, so I had to think about how I could keep the materials and approach green but still make luxurious designs.'

She was inspired to try using rice and experimented with the shape of the rice grains on a shoe template.

The student spent weeks gluing on individual grains to create shapes.

She then poured silicon over the rice-covered shoe shape, and was left with a mould in which to pour the bio-resin.

Dr Liliya Serazetdinova from UEA's Incrops said: 'The fashion industry has a high environmental footprint and is responsible for a significant amount of waste, but these exciting designs use natural and renewable materials to create stunning luxury goods.

'We've been really impressed with how the students have addressed this challenge.'

She said she hoped the designs would inspire designers around the world to use bio-based renewable materials in luxury goods.

Do you have a story about fashion for the Evening News? Contact Emma Harrowing at emma.harrowing@archant.co.uk or call 01603772380.