Hero chic could be the big look on the catwalk this summer, after Kingston University fashion student Stephanie Pither used the classic Action Man toy’s outfits as the inspiration for her latest creations.

The 22-year-old, who always preferred the rugged hero toy to “boring” Barbie dolls as a child, spent £40 on a box of Action Man memorabilia in an eBay sale to better research her subject - a purchase which turned out to hold a treasure trove of miniature sleeping bags, ladders and parachutes, as well as a model of the soldier’s faithful dog.

She said: “I mixed up all the styles, so that each garment reflected all the different faces of Action Man, rather than pigeonholing him as a soldier or a diver.

“There was also a huge oversized jumper for him in the box, which I guess someone’s granny had thoughtfully knitted to be as small as possible, so I included a man-size version mixed with leather parachute straps in my collection too.”

What do you think of the collection? Tell us at kingstonguardian.co.uk/yoursay