Maria’s ahead of the curvewith flattering cardie design

The Fitted Cardie from Maria Brimelow's Bobby Farr range

Working from a studio at Custom Lane on Commercial Street, she has already caught the eye of discerning shoppers with The Fitted Cardigan – the debut product in her Bobby Farr range.

A graduate of Kingston University Art College and a former pupil of Edinburgh Academy, Maria, 27, said: “The Bobby Farr brand came into being as I was unable to find any fitted knitwear.

“Everything, and I mean everything, was square and baggy. While being slim, I have a curvy structure, like most women. Missing out my waist and going straight to my hips does not flatter me.

“The more women I spoke to, the more I saw a significant gap in the market. Women want fitted knitwear. Bobby Farr’s purpose is to create knitwear that sits alongside the body complementing it, not hiding it.”

At £395, the cardigan is clearly a high-end product, but one that Maria has designed to be versatile and timeless.

She adds: “Our ethos is to use the best quality fibres with considered and reflective design to create products for daily wear that will be loved and last for a lifetime.

“Our choices in pure and ethically sourced yarns mean our ‘made in Scotland’ products are sustainable and do not take advantage of workers. It’s a sustainable choice in today’s throw-away world.”

Frontiers Woman on Stafford Street is the exclusive Edinburgh stockist for The Fitted Cardigan, which is also available from Atterley.com, an online fashion destination providing a platform for upmarket independent and boutique brands.

A soft, lightweight blend of cotton and cashmere makes the cardie cool to the touch but warm enough to wear in spring, autumn and winter – and a handy accessory for a Scottish summer. It currently comes in Assam, a rich charcoal grey (worn by model, main picture) and Sand, a strong taupe beige.

“Things are going really well at the moment. The initial response has been amazing and sales have been good,” said Maria, who presented her graduate portfolio at Graduate Fashion Week, going on to create a capsule collection for renowned yarn event Pitti Filati in Florence.

She is now looking to grow the Bobby Farr brand, with the aim of presenting a full capsule collection for the coming year.

Maria said: “With all the costs of starting a business, it made sense to focus on the one product to begin with, adding further clothing and accessories as I grow the range. It’s very small at the moment so there’s plenty of scope to grow.”

Find out more at bobbyfarrstudio.com