IT’S not surprising to learn Sarah Joseph has already made her mark on Canberra since moving here seven months ago.

In her first three years as a fashion designer, she’s had a Bollywood actress wear one of her gowns on the red carpet, designed a dress for a celebrity wedding and featured in magazines such as “OK!” and “Vogue”.

Since immigrating to Australia from Wales with her husband in August, Sarah has set up a studio in O’Malley, found herself a business partner – photographer Robert Coppa – and, in May, will have her evening and bridal collection feature in highly-anticipated fashion festival, Fashfest.

Sarah will be exhibiting at the inaugural Fashfest from May 1-4 at Canberra Airport.

“Fashfest has been fantastic, there’s a huge amount of coverage and everyone’s so excited,” Sarah says.

Sarah has been professionally designing bridal and evening wear under her label, Sarah Joseph Couture, for just over three years and hopes the exposure from Fashfest will help steadily build a client base in her new hometown, after leaving behind a firm following in Wales.

She says the pinnacle of her career so far was when she designed a wedding dress for the bride of Welsh rugby union star James Hook. The wedding had a four-page spread in “OK!” magazine.

“I’d love to do a celebrity wedding in Australia, now that I’m here!” she says.

Sarah was also “over the moon” when Bollywood actress Samira Mohamed-Ali wore one of her gowns to the Cannes film festival in 2011.

She says the secret to her success “is not having one distinct style”.

“I never follow fashion, I literally just make what I’m feeling on that day… one minute I’ve got a beautiful couture gown, the next I’ve got zebra print, and I think that’s what keeps people interested in me,” she says.

Sarah describes her latest collection as “a Sass and Bide take on bridal and evening wear”.

“My bridal couture is very elegant but there’s always a twist to make them stand out, to really make a statement,” she says.

Sarah, who has just turned 30, says she has never wanted to be anything else other than a fashion designer.

“My father says I was always drawing dresses in crayon when I was young,” she says. “I come from a very creative family.”

After completing tailoring and pattern-cutting courses, Sarah’s love for design grew when she landed a gig working for bridal designer Stephanie Allin.

Work experience with American designer Tom Ford and Australian eveningwear guru Alex Perry were also “eye-openers”, she says.

“After that, I really got started and my own business just went through the roof,” she says.

Sarah Joseph Couture can be seen at Fashfest which runs from May 1-4. Visit fashfest.com.au for more information.