Team LBD meets... Hanna Marie Hutchison, designer of the Ultimate LBD

Designer Hanna Marie Hutchison first shot to fame when the PM himself, David Cameron, was quoted in the press praising her Graduate Fashion Week collection. The only way from there was up, and Hanna went on to work with designers at Max Mara, Pinko and other Italian houses like Rutas Vida, which inspire Hanna's work to this day.

Hanna's biggest break however, came when the nation's sweetheart Cheryl Cole asked Hanna to create a dress for her to wear on X Factor! Now Hanna is working with Britney Spears on her X Factor and red carpet looks, and has just put the finishing touches on the

What was the inspiration for the Ultimate LBD? At the core of this design was 'the classic LBD'. But it had to have a modern influence, it had to translate through the years and through the seasons. It had to be elegant and I always had a sophisticated audience in mind. Although this dress is minimal and understated, it was never going to be faddy. This dress had to be something special, not just your casual throw-on-and-wear-everyday black dress. And it is. It is timeless and it is beautiful. What goes into designing a dress like the Ultimate LBD? Well with any design it is really important to envisage what the customer wants, which was what was so great about collaborating with LittleBlackDress.co.uk, because you know what women want from a black dress, you know what sells and you know what people want to be in come Christmas party season and beyond. The brief was elegance and sophistication, we all agreed on that. We also took in to consideration what is fashionable right now, which celebrities are wearing what. Have you seen Gwyneth Paltrow in that one-shoulder black dress in the Hugo Boss advertising campaign? It was so funny because that came out just as the Ultimate LBD went in to production, so I knew we were on to a winner! Gwynnie's is too body-con though, it wouldn't be flattering on anyone who doesn't have her figure. Ours is much better – the ruching is so body-enhancing, it doesn't matter what size or shape you are. So what's next in the design process? I came up with five or six flat drawings for Team LBD to see. Then you tried it out on yourselves, on models, on customers, and had a play around with some of the designs. That's another things that's so great about the Ultimate LBD, it was made with real women in mind too! Some of the designs I sketched were more flattering than others and it was unanimous that we should go with the most flattering cut and fabric, and a classic but trend-led design: the one-shoulder.

Left to right: Long Ultimate LBD, £95 and Short Ultimate LBD, £75 How is the design process different to high street designs? This is so different. I made three or four different samples of the Ultimate LBD until it was perfect. Each time, either myself or Team LBD made a few tweaks on things like length or just the way the dress fitted on different figures. With a high street dress, the first sample is nearly always the final product; resampling is pretty much unheard of. So that makes the Ultimate LBD really special because it is really high quality. This dress is of similar quality to much more expensive designer dresses but for a very affordable high street price. Who is the Ultimate LBD for? The Ultimate LBD (Short) will especially appeal to younger women for the perfect Saturday night party dress but the classiness and the timelessness of the black dress, be it long or short, makes it accessible to all ages and styles. And the Ultimate LBD (Long) will appeal to anyone looking for something a bit different, a touch more elegant in their evening dress. What makes this LBD different to all the others? I just love how flattering it is. We used soft-touch jersey, which is usually reserved for much more expensive dresses than this, so you really are getting great value and a designer fit. I actually wore the short version of the Ultimate LBD on Friday night for a dinner party with the girls. I was't sure if I should; I haven't been to the gym in ages and wasn't really looking my most shapely, but I looked amazing in it! As soon as you put it on, it just makes you feel good. And I got so many compliments! It's deadly stylish and elegant. Buy the Ultimate LBD here now!