A fashion designer is hoping to put a flood-hit town back on the shopping map by staging a glamorous catwalk show.

Kathy Myles, who runs a design business in Lewes called Material Matters, aims to revive the town's retail image and encourage shoppers to come back to Lewes where trade has fallen since the floods last October.

A line-up of 16 clothing shops in the town have pulled together to support the event at Lewes Town Hall this evening at 7.30pm.

Mrs Myles is hailing the support of five high street stores, including Monsoon, Next, Mackays, New Look and Jumpers, as a major coup for the event which has attracted interest of leading fashion magazines.

She said many people have been put off shopping in the town because they think a lot of the stores are still closed after being flooded out.

Mrs Myles said: "The reason behind this evening was to pull together shops in the town after the flood to give everyone an opportunity to remind the public that they are still there and very much trading.

"The footfall fell away after the flood and every shop in the town was seriously affected including those who were not flooded.

"The worry is that if people move away from their usual shopping habits then they may not come back and that can only have a detrimental effect on the local economy and inevitably the local community. In other words, if you don't use it you will lose it."

To add a touch of glamour to the event, Mrs Myles will also be displaying an outfit designed by her daughter Jo which won the Smirnoff International Fashion Award last year.

Jo Myles is an up-an-coming fashion designer who was picked to represent the UK at the Smirnoff International final in New York in November.

She is now working with a string of leading names in the fashion industry while she completes her studies in design at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication in Kent.

Mrs Myles has also organised a raffle and a licensed bar will be available until 10.30pm to raise funds for the Lewes Flood Appeal.