AN EMPTY town centre shop has been transformed into an exhibition for a young fashion designer’s latest pieces.

The former car accessories shop, in St James’s Street, Burnley, will house the spring-summer collection of local fashionista Giorgia Smithies for the next three weeks.

She will launch her latest Joja range on Thursday from 7pm and customers can find out more about her work everyday for the three-week period.

Giorgia, 19, who completed a BTEC National Diploma in Fashion at Burnley College, said: “I saw the empty shops scheme advertised by the council and thought it would be a good chance to showcase my designs to my home town.

“I can show off my latest collection and also get a few more made to measure customers as I do a lot of that kind of work.”

Launched in 2009, Joja Designs has grown from strength to strength, producing items for the likes of accessories giant GHD, as well as supplying collections for national and international companies for various advertising campaigns.

Giorgia and her brother Oliver, who is project manager for the shop, got the keys to 14 St James’s Street just three days ago and faced a race against time to turn it around.

“It was in a really bad state when we got here,” she said.

“The previous tenants had been here for 20 odd years and hadn’t really done anything with it.

"Oliver worked round the clock to tidy it up and make it look really nice.”

Giorgia has worked in collaboration with local photographers, bag designers, make-up artists and jewellers to transform the shop for her designs.