Kathryn Richards and Hannah Yapp are two of our finalists

This week and next week the Shropshire Star is featuring the 10 finalists in its Face of the Future 2009 competition.

The 10 young women all spent a fabulous day with the Shropshire Star and Telford Shopping Centre, at a fashion photo shoot in the spectacular house and grounds of Weston Park on the Shropshire border.

Expert photographer Russell Davies captured the finalists on camera modelling evening wear loaned by many of the stores in the shopping centre.

See our entrants’ photo gallery here

Our finalists looked their very best on the day, thanks to stylists, Ant and Laura from hair and beauty specialist, Rizzo.

The overall winner is due to be announced on New Year’s Day.

She will win the chance to represent Telford Shopping Centre on at least four occasions during 2009 and will be involved in a bridal fashion shoot during January.

Art student Kathryn Richards loved the surrounding for her photo shoot.

“It is an amazing place, full of wonderful paintings. I am so lucky to be able to spend the day here taking in the beauty,” she said. 

Kathryn, 19, has embarked on a foundation year in art at Telford College of Arts and Technology and hopes to go to Aberystwyth University to study fine art and art history.

She lives in Brookside in Telford and enjoys her part time job in a local pharmacy. 

And she also loves fashion and visiting Telford’s shopping centre. 

Her skills as an artist were recently on show at House of Fraser in the shopping centre when her large murals of butterflies was on display, as part of a college exhibition. 

Kathryn wore a long, and very striking black and pink dress from Designer at Debenhams, £130, which Leah Roberts from the shopping centre, chose.

Laura and Ant from Rizzo hair and beauty picked up on the theme, with colour being added to Kathryn’s hair.  

Hannah Yapp’s photo shoot showed just how far the teenager had come from her very fragile start in life. 

For the 17-year-old was born four week’s premature and was in intensive care for 10 days. 

At 16 weeks old she was admitted to hospital with pneumonia, allowed home on Christmas Day. 

But within days she was poorly again and by the time she celebrated her first birthday she had had three spells in hospital. Diagnosed with acute asthma, Hannah’s childhood was dogged by illness. 

But five years ago she grew out of the asthma and now has a bright future ahead. 

Studying at Ludlow College she is aiming to become a midwife or find another role in health care. 

She said she loved fashion and enjoyed her trips to Telford Shopping Centre. 

Living in a small Shropshire community, Wistantow, near Craven Arms, is important to Hannah and she says she appreciates the way of life in the countryside.

However, she admits that she is very glad she can now drive and be independent. 

Hannah wore a striking, lacy short black dress from Oasis in House of Fraser, priced £85, for the Weston Park photoshoot. 

Laura from Rizzo’s hair and beauty said she wanted to show off Hannah’s long hair so gave it a curly wave. She also swept it to one side for a dramatic look. 

By Sue Austin