Two graduates from fashion design programmes at Ort schools brought their new collections to an Ort fashion event at the Reform Club in London.

The 130 guests viewed Daria Dementova's "Learning to Fly" collection from Moscow. Sophie Guermeur from Ort Strasbourg presented "Optical Illusions" and the work of four other promising designers was also showcased.

Ms Guermeur said an Ort education had "allowed me to open myself up to the world and even more so to the art of fashion and everything that surrounds it.

"The completion of my high school diploma included school trips to Paris, Moscow and Karlsruhe and professional experiences like the fabric salon in Sainte-Marie aux Mines. This education created my artistic identity."

Ms Dementova said the fashion show was "a big step for a girl of 21. I don't know where I would be today without the education and facilities at the Ort college. Now from this trip, I've learned so much about how to prepare and organise such an event. And it was very pleasant the way people came up to me and told me how much they liked my designs."

Friends of Ort's Susan Roffman said a visit to Russia last year with fellow co-chair Roslyn Wagman had provided an opportunity "to visit some of the schools and experience the high levels of education given. The teachers say their task is not only to educate the children, but to make sure they can eat a nutritious meal during the day."

She also thanked the sponsors of the fashion show, which raised more than £10,000 for Ort's network of 17 Jewish day schools in the former Soviet Union. In particular, she paid tribute to Konstantin Yelin, who was so impressed by Ort's work that he committed his creative consultancy, The Future Vintage, to the project.