Fancy frocks are afoot in Croydon as its inaugural Fashion Festival gets under way later this month, promising to make the town centre a style Mecca.

From June 16 to 23, a range of catwalk shows, workshops and seminars will take place across the town in a jam-packed week.

The week has had local backing from Croydon BID and support from Barratt Homes, Whitgift, Centrale and Croydon College.

College designers, local performers and finalists in the Face of Croydon competition will begin proceedings with the walk the walk launch, taking to a catwalk straight through the town centre.

On Wednesday, June 18, on the Whitgift Fashion stage, the Croydon College Festival of Creativity Fashion Show takes place.

The event will showcase the best of Croydon College's recent graduate collections, and can be seen at 2pm and 4pm.

The following day the stage hosts the Alternative Arts Fashion Show, with an unusual and diverse range of designs.

Also on Thursday, a Beat the Stylist event will pit the skills of personal shoppers against a member of the public in a challenge to buy the best outfit on a budget.

The Face of Croydon grand final, in association with Fashion Capital, will take centre stage at Centrale on Saturday.

Top prize in the competition, is a modelling contract with RAH Productions and a trip to New York.