Win tickets to Richard Nicoll's show at London Fashion Week

You could win one of the most sought after tickets in town and take home your own piece of designer gear, thanks to BlackBerry and The Carphone Warehouse. They've partnered with hot British fashion designer, Richard Nicoll, on the launch of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone in Violet, BlackBerry's most newest and affordable smartphone.

We have one pair of tickets to give away to his show at London Fashion Week on 20 September 2009, plus you could win one of the limited-edition pouches he’s squeezed in time to design, taking inspiration from the handset’s cool violet colour.

The perfect fashion accessory, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone in Violet offers everything that’s needed for communication on-the-move. With features including instant messenger, a host of social networking functions giving direct access to sites including Facebook and MySpace and push email to deliver emails straight to your inbox, there's everything you need to keep in touch. Plus download the official BlackBerry application from www.viigo.com for inside access to news, photos and designer information from London Fashion Week.

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone in Violet is available from The Carphone Warehouse for free on a £25 a month contract from Orange, or for £199.95 on Pay As You Go.

To be in with a chance of winning these fashion fabulous tickets, plus one of Richard's limited-edition pouches and a BlackBerry Curve 8520 smartphone in Violet, just answer the following question:

In which country did designer Richard Nicoll grow up?

Click here to email your answer - please include your phone number and home address in your entry.

Closing date 10am, Friday 18th September – winner needs to be available on Sunday 20 September

Click here for competition terms and conditions

In Spring-Summer 2005, Richard Nicoll showed his first collection as part of the Fashion East sponsorship project during London Fashion Week. Since then, the British-born, Australian-raised designer has gone from strength to strength and is now considered one of London’s most highly-anticipated and talented young designers.

He has previously been chosen for the highly regarded New Generation Award for the past four seasons, and his designs have been featured in magazines such as i-D, Italian and British Vogue, Self Service, W and Dazed & Confused. His collections have been well received by press and buyers alike and Richard Nicoll is now stocked in more than 30 stores worldwide.

Ahead of Nicoll's eagerly anticipated show at London Fashion Week was caught up with him for a quick chat.

You must be very busy preparing for your show at London Fashion Week. How are you holding up?

Fine actually. This is my eleventh season so we’re getting more organised every season. We’re actually feeling quite calm.

What can we expect from the show?

This season I thought about how we’re working harder than ever and I wanted to create a collection that had a sense of escapism but within an urban uniform. I looked at a book of Edwardian pictures of Tahitian islanders for inspiration.

You grew up in Australia. Does that influence your designs?

Yes it might influence the spirit. It's a more relaxed culture and maybe that's why I thought about the idea of escapism and the freedom of the clothes. It’s kind of more about encouraging a certain mindset within the city.

What kind of woman do you design for?

I design for somebody who is an individual and doesn't follow trends, somebody who is idiosyncratic and slightly eccentric but within the constraints of normal society. We have a wide range of customers and I think my work is quite versatile in that it suits a lot of different people.

Do you go to the other shows at London Fashion Week? What are you looking forward to?

I go to my friends' shows so I'll be going to Jonathan Saunders, Roksanda Ilinic, Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab. All my peers really.

What’s the music going to be like at your show?

I’m using Beach Boys-influenced electronic music and then a bit by Animal Collective and then some 60s Garage Rock at the end of the show.

What do you think sets London Fashion Week apart from the other fashion weeks?

I think the individual spirit and the fearlessness that London has. Obviously there are fewer commercial constraints here so I think people take bigger risks. I don’t think there is any city quite like London.

What are your favourite LFW moments from the past 25 years?

I guess the Alexander McQueen/Shalom car spray moment, the moment when she was sprayed by the paint gun. And I saw the Hussein Chalayan Sadler's Wells show with the table/skirt moment. That was amazing.

What’s your top tip for avoiding London Fashion Week fatigue?

Either get some sleep or drink through it. That's my motto!

Are you taking some time off after LFW? Where are you off to?

Yeah I'm going to Barcelona for a week and then I'm going to Paris.

You’ve designed a pouch for the BlackBerry Curve. Are you a BlackBerry addict?

I genuinely am. I have it on me constantly and I've been known to sleep with it under my pillow.

What’s the first thing you check on your BlackBerry in the morning?

Texts, Facebook and then emails.

Interview by Lynn Enright

Richard Nicoll is partnering with BlackBerry and The Carphone Warehouse on the launch of the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520 smartphone in Violet ahead of his show at London Fashion Week on Sunday 20 September