It’s refreshing to find a fashion designer who actually seems to be having fun. Too many times, the joy of fashion can be lost in heavy concept and criticism, business politics and economics. Not to say that is always the fault of the designer, but one who can hide the necessary bores of fashion, is a gem to find.

Louise Gray is such a gem. You only have to look at her fantastically bright, fun and original collections to know this and realise she genuinely loves what she does. “I have just being doing what makes me very happy, fashion makes me use my mind more than any other, it really is something I live inside out.”

Born in Scotland, Gray studied Textiles at Glasgow School of Art before moving to London to complete a MA in Fashion at Central St. Martins.  Although a notoriously tough course to embark on, it certainly paid off. She received awards from both Lancôme and Chloé in 2006 and acclaim for her 2007 MA graduation collection of nude and primary coloured shift dresses embellished with childlike shapes and playful trimmings. She quickly launched her own label, receiving sponsorship by Fashion East to show at London Fashion Week in September 2007.

She has being showing in London ever since, “I live and work here and I love it,” successfully establishing a well-respected label stocked in Dover Street Market, Jeanette’s and abroad. Perhaps this steadily rising career progression comes from her positive and grounded attitude. She seems accepting that she is a young designer, reading her reviews with an eagerness to learn. “I have done presentations for the last three seasons so it’s very interactive and open to these new medias. There are so many opinions now. I find it interesting.”

Gray certainly fits into the quirky London kid category that the international press likes to follow. Her chameleon hair is currently bright red (exactly the colour of popular Scottish soft-drink Irn-Bru) and worn in a trendy topknot. In fact, she may have revived the topknot after using the hairstyle for her AW2009 lookbook. She dresses just like her label – loud colours, prints and layers of laidback shapes. No surprise since her approach to work is, “very personal, and reflective of how [she wants] to dress.”