When I saw that one of the options for the industry project on my course was designing a garment for the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, I really wanted to be involved. I also pledge that I'll slaughter all unruly dragons, and rescue any damsels in distress who request my help. An emblematic character of English Medieval aristocracy and the iron fist with which they ruled Britain. Sharing her thoughts on her High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire outfit, Professor Veronica Pickering said: “I’m absolutely delighted how Ilektra, along with the help of some other talented individuals have incorporated both my African heritage as a woman from Kenya and my love of Nottinghamshire. The High Sheriff robe also features a 3D printed ‘Acorn Lace’ based on an antique lace sample from the Nottingham Lace Archive, which is based in the Bonington building at NTU.

Alan Wheatley as the Sheriff of Nottingham in the Richard Greene television series The Adventures of Robin Hood.An infamous villain of legend, the Sheriff of Nottingham was the main antagonist of Robin Hood and wanted nothing more than to capture him and have him hanged. A ceremonial uniform to be worn by the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire has been created by a Nottingham Trent University (NTU) student. As a further link to Nottinghamshire, the shoes that go with the outfit were created by Nottingham textiles firm ‘ Footfalls and Heartbeats’. Other elements the garment also needed to feature were a ‘Jabot’, which is an ornamental frill displayed at the front, cuffs and silver buttons which were sourced from a previous High Sheriff uniform.

Professor Pickering gave a project brief to design a ceremonial robe that would both reflect her African heritage and also her love for Nottinghamshire. A large amount of the uniform was sewn by hand and the lead colour is synonymous with Nottinghamshire – a rich, dark green. Sir Tony says: "I'll use my new title with abandon to highlight the causes I believe in: the importance of culture, the arts and heritage in our society, and the plight of the infirm elderly and their carers. NTU is the 5 th largest UK institution by student numbers, with nearly 39,000 students and more than 4,400 staff located across five campuses. The garment will be worn by Professor Veronica Pickering, the first ever black female High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire.The lining of the fabric is inspired by a traditional African wax pattern, in a bright yellow colour featuring birds, a reference not only to Africa but also to Veronica’s ongoing work with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

I needed something for a fancy dress party and from the photo it looked good; it did not disappoint, and I was really happy with my choice.

She hopes to have a career in making costumes for film and TV and to continue turning her ideas into reality. Ilektra first fell in love with costume design at the age of four when she asked her grandmother to teach her how to sew her own dress.