T stands for Toon in Cheryl’s design

Aug 18 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

THE magpie – for decades the symbol of Newcastle United – has been “borrowed” by Geordie style icon Cheryl Cole as she branches out into fashion design.

Cheryl, 24, one fifth of chart-toppers Girls Aloud, may be married to Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole, but it was her devotion to the black-and-white footballers of her home city which inspired the design which, she says, “shows the fun, cheeky side of my fellow Geordies”.

Cheryl, nee Tweedy, from Heaton, explained: “I wanted my T-shirt to give people an insight into what it’s like to be a Geordie and highlight that Newcastle is a really special place to me – after all it’s the Jewel of the North East!”

Cheryl and her co-stars in Girls Aloud created five exclusive T-shirt designs for the group’s sponsors KitKat, in support of the charity Make-A-Wish Foundation® UK.

They will be unveiled at their concert next Sunday at Beamish Hall Hotel, Beamish, near Stanley, County Durham.

Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh created the designs during their break time on their recent ‘Tangled Up’ tour.

Sarah said her design is inspired by her love of the UK. She said: “I think we should be proud of our country and our flag, which is why I wanted the Union Jack on it. This is really important to me and I love being in the thick of things, so it made sense to put myself smack bang in the middle.”

Nicola’s design incorporates the iconic words of fellow Liverpudlians, the Beatles. She explained: “Let It Be is a song I hold dear to my heart as it speaks of hope and desire. I wanted my T-shirt to encourage people to dream of a perfect world filled with happiness, love and friendship, and to never forget their goals.”

LA-based Nadine said: “I love the glamorous style of the old silver screen era, the 30s and art deco period. The era symbolised progress and optimism which I wanted to reflect in my T-shirt.” Kimberley’s design combines Britain’s traditional heritage with the multi-cultural mix of the country today.

She said: “I’m proud to be living in a country that can accept different cultures, colours and creeds with open arms and wanted my T-shirt to reflect the diverse attitude of modern Britain.”

There are 165 of the girls’ T-shirts from KIT KAT® SENSES™ to be won every day for six weeks from today.

The new T-shirts will be unveiled at the Girls Aloud concert next Sunday at Beamish. The group is appearing as part of a two-day festival organised by local charity Hope 4 Kidz.

Tickets to the Girls Aloud concert cost £35, available from organisers Hope 4 Kidz on (0191) 534-7788 or from www.seetickets.com For more information about the T-shirts go to www.kitkat-senses.co.uk