A mum who started out at Greatie Market has spent the last 22 years dressing the city's women for the Grand National.
Nikki Whiston has been busy preparing for Ladies Day and the rest of the Grand National Festival for the last four months, with people placing their orders all the way back in January. Each dress Nikki and her team make at Nikki's Dress Designs in Huyton village is bespoke and made to order.
From lace dresses to sequins and feathers, the team cater for all kinds of events, with the average price for a dress ranging from £150-£450.
READ MORE: Grand National 2023 racecard - times and order of running on Thursday, Ladies Day, and Saturday
Nikki, 48, told the ECHO: "I had a stall on Greatie Market and then I opened this 22 years ago. I've always been a bespoke dress maker, just because I love doing it so much. I was busy from the day I opened."
Nikki moved into her current shop on Sherbourne Square in Huyton 12 years ago, where she works with a team of three other staff members. The 48-year-old said the shop has been busier than ever since the pandemic, with every customer that walks through the doors looking for something "original" that they can't find on the high street.
Nikki said: "They come in with a picture or explain to me what they want. As soon as we get Christmas out of the way people come in and order for the races and proms and stuff then.
"We're busy the whole year round - there's always a big event. It's a really hard job because we're bespoke we do about five fittings for each person. You've got to make sure it's right.
"Everything has been bespoke. We do a lot of asymmetric at the moment and stuff with feathers."
To help you get involved in all the action for this year's Grand National, we have put together this easy-to-use sweepstake kit, with the 40 horses most likely to be running.
The countdown has officially started. Join our Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool Facebook group
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