When Kal Kaur Rai had first started out as a designer, she was afraid to mention it to her parents, afraid they`d expect her to choose a more established business career. Today, a self-starter, with no formal fashion training and whose clientele includes Victoria Beckham, Cat Deeley and Beyonce, is reaping the rewards of her hard work and ambition, being named Young Achiever of the Year.

It was while working for an advertising agency, eight years ago, that she began her own womenswear label. She shot herself onto the fashion scene in 1997 at the London Interseason trade show and Topshop in Oxford Street, offered her her first concession.

By 1998 she opened a retail store at High Street Kensington's Hype DF and just two years later set up her own wholesale showroom in W1, visited by Beyonce and Alicia Keys. Today, her supremely sexy designs are sold in more than 70 stores worldwide and she has recently launched a new higher-end range, called Dusk Till Dawn.

“I pinch myself sometimes," Rai admits. "What I do is my hobby - and I get paid for it”.

Rai was awarded the accolade at Asian Business Awards, a prestigious annual event that honors entrepreneurial talent. She received her award at a banquet organized by Asian newspaper Eastern Eye at The Hilton Hotel, Park Lane. The ceremony was hosted by broadcaster Martin Bashir and attended by Prince Michael of Kent.