A KENDAL College hairdressing student has won a prestigious bronze award in the final of a top national hairdressing competition.

Sophie Knowles, 20, claimed third prize in the finals of the UK Wella Xposure 2016 Competition at the Wella Academy in London.

Sophie, a Level 3 part-time hairdressing student, also works at 16 The Salon in Kendal. She made it through to the national finals after competing in the regional finals in Manchester earlier this year.

On hearing she had finished in the top three, Sophie said: “When the judges read my name out I couldn’t believe it. I would never have imagined that I would be in the top three out of over 370 competitors.

“It was one of the best experiences I have had and it makes me excited to get into more competitions and stage work. It’s really helped my confidence and has given me so much inspiration being able to see all of the amazing colours and styles that were there! I’m now keen to get back in the salon and try out some of the new styles and techniques I've picked up along the way.

“I want to say a huge thank you to Kendal College for the opportunity and a massive thank you to my tutor Denise, my model Saskia and to my employers at 16 The Salon for all the support they've given me.”

The Wella Xposure competition is aimed at hairdressing students who want to take their first steps on the competition ladder and show off their skills. This is its sixth year and this year’s judges included celebrity hairdressers from Marc Antoni Artistic Team and Patrick Cameron.

In addition to Sophie, 18-year old Lizzie Braithwaite from Kendal College also made it through to the national finals.

Denise Thompson, lecturer in hair and beauty at Kendal College, said: “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. Sophie in particular should be full of pride for her hard work, high levels of creativity, and for keeping a cool head under an extremely pressurised competition environment. It’s a fantastic achievement.”

The Wella Xposure gold and silver winners were from Doncaster and South Lanarkshire College’s respectively.