The next big names in fashion are set to reveal their unique undergraduate collections as part of Nottingham Trent University's eagerly-awaited fashion catwalk shows on 20 and 21 May. The shows, 20ten, are part of the University's Art and Design degree show festival and will feature the work of talented final year students from the internationally-renowned Fashion Design and Fashion Knitwear Design and knitted textiles courses.

Among this year's work, which will be showcased in the University's newly-refurbished Newton building, will be a stunning collection inspired by climate change, with knitwear designed for the proposed forecasts of the year 2050. Designer Laura Coppen has combined sustainability and luxury, and included technological yarns aimed at protecting certain areas of the body in hotter temperatures.

Laura used a thermal sensor camera to map where hot and cold temperatures affected the body most, before developing her six piece collection accordingly. One of the yarns used is ‘seacell’, which is created from seaweed and enriches and releases vitamins and minerals into the skin, while another, ‘clima’, has paraffin in the fibre that creates an interface of heat regulation between the wearer and their environment.

Another knitwear collection was inspired by the literary nonsense of 19th Century authors such as Alice in Wonderland creator, Lewis Carroll, in which socks have been joined together to create beautifully-designed individual pieces. Designer Hannah Bullen came up with the idea while on work placement at the Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum where making socks was part of her role.

The womenswear collection, which aims to question the rules of logic, includes a complete skirt and top made from lining socks together, as well as incorporating socks into various features of her garments. Socks have been used to create a bustle at the back of one dress; heels form the bottom of a skirt, while the toes have been used to create a high neck, pockets and a scarf in other pieces.

Film noir and the screen sirens from the late 1930s and early 1940s were the inspiration behind fashion design student Rosannah Palmer's visually powerful collection. Dark colours have been mixed with a sophisticated colour palette and couture high-end fabrics are used for a collection which includes jumpsuits, dresses and a beautifully-tailored shirt.

David Powell, meanwhile, has created a menswear collection based on an exaggerated style of the American deep south, and has designed his own check pattern and incorporated leather and padding throughout to give his work a biker-feel. And Frankie Yung has used the Japanese bento box food container as inspiration for the structure and simplicity for her collection, which features angular designs worked into jackets, dresses and trousers.

Graduate Fashion Week event in London

After the Nottingham shows, students will be selected to show their collections at the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week event in London, which provides a platform for the very best fashion design talent in the UK. The event runs from 6-10 June, with the Nottingham Trent University catwalk event scheduled for 8 June.

Over the last 30 years Fashion Design and Fashion Knitwear Design at Nottingham Trent University have established international reputations for shaping creative talent capable of producing the kind of innovative, directional designs demanded by today's fast-paced fashion world.

This year's students will be hoping to emulate the success of previous Nottingham Trent University undergraduates who have gone on to establish careers at labels including Paul Smith, Julien Macdonald, All Saints, Abercrombie and Fitch, Max Mara, Karen Millen, Issey Miyake, Levi Strauss, River Island and Topshop.

Julie Pinches, the head of fashion and knitwear at Nottingham Trent University's School of Art and Design, said: "We are really looking forward to this year's catwalk shows; it is a fantastic opportunity for the students to be able to present their work in such an inspiring and striking venue as the University's Newton building.

"Fashion design and fashion knitwear design and knitted textiles have collaborated to showcase students' impressive collections and provide visitors with a unique insight into the fashion talent of the future. The work is the result of extremely hard work by both our staff and students and will demonstrate why both courses continue to retain their impressive international reputations."

The fashion shows will take place at 5pm and 8pm on 20 and 21 May.