TWO college friends have combined their passion for fashion with their business know-how to set up their own online fashion company.

Northumbria University graduates Gemma Porter and Nikitta Strongman officially opened The Dolls House Fashion Emporium earlier this month with a launch party in Darlington’s The Keys.

The online business sells a wide variety of women’s dresses, playsuits and swimwear and offers a unique service called 'The Dress Exchange' which allows customers to buy a dress, wear it and return it for up to a 50 per cent refund.

Miss Porter, of Newton Aycliffe, said: “Nikitta and I have always got along really well, we both absolutely love clothes and we have always had an ambition to run our own business.”

The 25-year-old mother-of-one left a full time role within a large company to pursue her dream of working for herself.

She added: “Now the business is fully set up and we are up and running it’s an amazing feeling. It’s been scary at times but we both feel really confident and are enjoying every second."

For more information visit thedollshouseuk.co.uk or search The Dolls House UK on Facebook.