Bellm says a number of designer brands like British lingerie label La Senza have recently contacted her to launch their corporate profiles on the website as a means of networking with up-and-coming designers.

Fashion students may find it difficult to raise enough money to advertise their designs upon graduating. They can use the website to attract potential employers.

Emma Payne, a 24-year-old fashionspace member, says the site has helped her portfolio stand out in job applications.

"(Using the site) I've been able to see what the market might be like, and expand from that, it's been very useful to test the market that way," she said.

The site's popularity has spread rapidly in the past six months, with advertisements on Facebook and word of mouth, generating on average 800,000 page views a month.

Most members are female fashion students between 15 and 25 years old who use the site to buy and swap clothes.

"Everyone wants to be individual. No one wants to wear the same thing from Topshop or generic brands," Bellm said."It's almost like a big Portobello market, you can find quirky things no one else has," she said.

In the photograph: style icon Nicole Kidman - the next outfit she sports could be designed by you!

Photograph: Getty Images

By Jane Lee