Spellbinding Stories come to life at College Showcase

Newbury College beauty and hairdressing students have cast a spell on audiences at their annual showcase evening with fantastic creations straight out of the pages of their favourite bedtime stories.

Each student designed and created a look – including hair, makeup and clothing – based on their interpretation of the theme. From family-friendly Disney-inspired princesses to creepy creatures from the twisted world of Tim Burton classics, the students pushed the standard even higher this year as prosthetics and LED lighting were used to enhance the daring designs.

When the models took to the catwalk, in front of a panel of industry experts from commercial salons and leading companies in the sector, including Lilly Hennah from CJ Beauty & Co, Jason Palmer from Jason Palmer Hairdressing and Ailsa Willis from Diva Pro Styling, the audience was enchanted.

The judges had such a tough time in choosing winners that for the time, they even announced some highly commended entrants in the list of finalists. Highly commended students included Charlotte Canning, Christine Caldaralo and Holly Hoskins for their interpretations of Steve the Alien, Rapunzel and Jack and the Beanstalk.

Overall winner, Joana Camacho, made a splash with her interpretation of Serefina, a dark mermaid from Jennifer Donnelly’s Deep Blue, and was closely followed by runner up, Lauren Harris, whose Narnia inspired Ice Queen gave the audience chills.

Other finalists included Lucy Oliver with her hair-raising take on Snow White’s Maleficent and Lydia Leighfield, whose Thumbelina was a big hit. Theona (Tee) Walmsley was awarded Best Mood Board for her creative preparation and exploration of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden.

Rachael Elsey, Curriculum Manager for Services, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who came along to support the event, including all the friends, family members and judges. Our annual showcase event is designed to allow the students’ imagination to flourish, and they certainly didn’t disappoint! Some of the creations were truly amazing, and we are very proud of what they achieved.”