TWO Kendal College stylists have won prestigious places in the live grand final of a top national hairdressing competition.

Sophie Knowles, 20, and Lizzie Braithwaite, 18, both from Kendal, have made it through to the finals of the UK Wella Xposure 2016 competition after beating off another 18 regional finalists in Manchester.

The annual competition is aimed solely at hairdressing students who want to take their first steps on the competition ladder and show off their skills. Now in its sixth year, this will be the first time that two Kendal College students have reached the grand final of the competition, which attracts hundreds of entrants from colleges across the UK.

Sophie and Lizzie are both Level 3 hairdressing students at the college – Sophie a part-time student and Lizzie studying toward an apprenticeship. Both currently also work in Kendal at 16 The Salon and Debonair respectively.

As part of the competition, the students had to research and create a theme before carrying out a commercial, modern, and creative cut and colour on a model. Both were delighted to reach the final together.

“It was a fantastic experience and I am really proud to reach the final,” said Sophie.

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Lizzie said: “I couldn’t believe it when they called out my name! I was very overwhelmed but felt proud of what I had achieved. I cannot wait to experience the final in London”.

Caroline Middleton, Lead Assessor in Hair and Beauty at Kendal College, said: “This is the fourth year in a row that we’ve had students make it to the regional finals and the third year to the overall final in London. It’s a great position to be in as we know what to expect and are able to prepare Sophie and Lizzie for that next step of competition level on such a large and high pressure scale.

“We’re so proud of both students as literally hundreds of people take part each year and the competition is renowned for its high standards, so it really is a huge achievement to get this far. We’re now looking forward to supporting them at the grand final in June.”

The finalists will compete in the live grand final at the Wella Academy in London on Wednesday June 8. Winners will receive a selection of money-can’t-buy hairdressing prizes including a mentoring day with a top hairdressing icon, training vouchers for the student and lecturer, backstage work experience, and hairdressing kits.