SOLVED. YA, 90s/00s, set in a school, about teens entering a fashion/clothes design competition, one group cheats by using store-bought clothes, subplot about smoking

[Wesley]

Contemporary feel, so likely not published earlier than 1990 and couldn’t have been published later than 2007. Probably based in UK/US.
About a school competition in which students have to design clothing around a theme. One group chooses beach holidays. One group cheats by buying clothes from a shop and removing the labels. There is some sabotage element - paint being “spilled” on some clothes. One character falls out with the main group focused on and joins the “bad” rich girls group. She gets caught smoking by an old friend who is hence disappointed in her. Possible character names: Charlie, Jas/

[Becca]

The part about cutting the labels out sounds familiar to me - it might have come up on this sub before. Definitely worth searching the archive here for keywords (I've tried but haven't come up with anything yet). Do you think this was part of a series with the same characters, or a standalone book?

[Rainbowheart]

I feel like it's come up before too, but I couldn't find it searching the group.

[Wesley]

Thanks for the replies! I’ve come up with zilch from search so far, but I’ll keep looking. Honestly not sure whether part of a series or not - if it was, it was the only entry I read, but the setting makes me think it’s the kind of scenario an author may generate multiple books from, like a Baby-Sitter’s Club or Malory Towers

[Ariel]

"Best Friends for Never" by Lisi Harrison

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

Looking at the summary, seems more about a Halloween Party, but searching on wiki and checking spoiler reviews, it's more about designing a school uniform. Is part 2 of "The Clique" series. Might be it?

[Wesley]

Thanks Ariel! That’s not it, unfortunately - I just checked some snippets and reviews online - though that element of the plot does sound similar. Appreciate you looking!

[Florence]

Maybe one of the sweet valley high books?

[Wesley]

Finally found this one on Archive.org tonight - Fashion Victim (Bell Street #4) by Holly Tate - pretty obscure, 0 ratings on here and barely any Google results, so thrilled to have finally identified it! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome, super glad you found it!

Fashion Victim for the trackable link.