My eco dress for the Miss England 2018 Finals 💃🏻 (Thank you all for the nice messages, I really do appreciate it😭) @wedoethicalliving @missenglandnews #missengland #misshuddersfield #eco #ecodress #saraiftekhar A post shared by S A R A🌹 (@sara_iftekhar) on Sep 3, 2018 at 3:05pm PDT<doc-sep>A 20-year-old law student is set to be the first Miss England finalist to wear a hijab while competing for the coveted beauty crown. Sara Iftekhar, from West Yorkshire, already holds the title of Miss Huddersfield 2018 but is hoping to take the top national spot at the finals in Nottinghamshire on Tuesday. While previous Muslim competitors have chosen to wear headscarves, Iftekhar will be the first finalist to do so. Sharing a selfie with a trophy back in July, she wrote of her struggle with comprehending 'how amazing" she felt to have gone so far in the pageant. "It was an incredible experience and something which I will never be able to forget. The opportunities which I have received with being a finalist in Miss England are opportunities which I would never have thought of and will forever be grateful for," she wrote Whoever takes the Miss England crown will go on to compete at the Miss World competition in Sanya, a city on China's Hainan Island in December. As part of the competition, the women are encouraged to use their platform to raise money for "Beauty with a Purpose" -- a Miss World organization that supports disadvantaged children around the world. Iftekar wrote on her crowdfunding page that her motivation for participating in the pageant was "to show that beauty doesn't have a definition, everyone is beautiful in their own ways, regardless of their weight, race, colour or shape." The aspiring lawyer, who has had a keen interest in fashion and beauty from a young age, started her own clothing business at just 16 years old. Throughout the competition, she has been creating "eco dresses" -- taking old materials like paper boxes and plastic garbage bags and incorporating them into her outfits -- and documenting the upcycling process on her Instagram account. In July, model Halima Aden became the first hijabi woman to feature on the cover of British Vogue. A former pageant contestant herself, Aden told CNN that taking part while also wearing a headscarf was an opportunity to dispel the narrative that Muslim women are oppressed. "There are so many Muslim women that feel like they don't fit society's standard of beauty," she said in June. "I just wanted to tell them it's OK to be different, being different is beautiful, too." 1 / 7 One of the ways Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, founder of MuslimGirl.com, begins her talks is by asking the audience to search for images of 'Muslim women' in their phone browsers. The result is more often than not a wall of women hidden behind black cloth. Credit: Aly Raff/Photodisc/Getty Images According to UK's Women and Equalities Committee , Muslim women "suffer the greatest economic disadvantages of any group" in British society for reasons that include discrimination, Islamophobia and stereotyping. Meanwhile, the debate around women in headscarves was reignited in the UK in August after former foreign secretary Boris Johnson likened Muslim women wearing veils to "letterboxes" and bank robbers.<doc-sep>Advertisement A Miss England contestant made history today by becoming the first ever finalist to wear a hijab - but lost out to another beauty queen whose mother stormed the stage to embrace her victorious daughter. After months of preparation, the Miss England 2018 hopefuls took to the stage this evening to compete to win the title and represent the country in the Miss World pageant in Chinese city of Sanya this November. All 50 finalists showed off their good looks and unique talents in tonight's show, with rounds including a fashion show, talent showcase and an evening wear catwalk. Contestant Sara Iftekhar, 20, from Huddersfield was the first ever hijab-wearing beauty queen to make it to the final, but ultimately she lost out to Miss Newcastle. Alisha Cowie's mother jumped on stage to hug her daughter after she received her crown and trophy before being dragged off for security. The glamorous event took place in at Kelham Hall and Country Park in Kelham, Nottinghamshire, and is the second round in the final, with the first taking place back in July. Miss Huddersfield 2018 Sara Iftikhar is the first ever hijabi-wearing woman to make it to the finals of the competition, although she appeared not to wearing one on the catwalk (pictured) Miss Huddersfield 2018 Sara Iftikhar wore a turban-style headscarf on the catwalk, as she joined Miss Staffordshire 2018 Megan Fenwick (right) during the Miss England 2018 finals The mother of Miss Newcastle stormed the stage after her daughter Alisha Cowe was crowned Miss England. Security staff then pulled her off stage Mrs Crowe cried tears of joy after seeing her daughter Alisha take the crown at the 68th Miss England competition Emotions ran high for both mother and daughter as Alisha was crowned Miss England 2018/19. The winner of the Miss England title will eventually join Miss Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to compete for the Miss World crown, with its impressive first prize award of $100,000 (£78,000) Prior to her win this evening, Alisha posted a snap on Instagram with the caption: 'Anyone for yoga? The Miss England finals have been a blast so far and I can’t believe today is the day a new Miss England will be crowned!' This is the second round of the finale, with the first occurring back in July. Pictured: Miss Norfolk Natasha Adams, 24, performed CPR on a dummy live on stage in her paramedic's uniform Tonight is the final of Miss England 2018 at Kelham Hall and Country Park in Kelham, Nottinghamshire in which 50 hopefuls will compete to win the title. Pictured: A lilac-haired Miss Stoke-on-Trent Annabella Stanyer, 21, performing a dance routine with a flame-coloured floor length gown Prior to her win this evening, Alisha posted a snap on Instagram with the caption: 'Anyone for yoga? The Miss England finals have been a blast so far and I can’t believe today is the day a new Miss England will be crowned!' The Muslim student, who often shares pictures of herself wearing Pakistani fashion to her thousands of followers on Instagram, said she 'can't even comprehend' how 'amazing it is' to have reached the competition's finals. She said on Instagram: 'My Miss England journey has been so so amazing and an experience which I never thought i would be part of. 'I still feel honoured to be one of the amazing girls in the top 50 chosen out of 22,000 women. I just can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.' The winner of the Miss England title will eventually join Miss Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to compete for the Miss World crown, with its impressive first prize award of $100,000 (£78,000). Miss Stoke-on-Trent Annabella Stanyer, 21, donned a stunning floor length gowned that she swished around the catwalk as part of her talent showcase. The lilac-haired beauty commanded attention in the bright red number as other hopefuls danced behind her. Another hopeful's gift was refreshingly down-to-earth, as Miss Norfolk Natasha Adams, 24, performed CPR on a dummy live on stage in her paramedic's uniform. Miss Kent Neha Dull, 23, honoured her Asian heritage by performing Bollywood dance moves on the runway while wearing a breathtaking gold and turquoise costume. Ultimately Alisha Cowie took the crown and trophy of Miss England 2018/19 this evening However wins the compete for the Miss World crown in Chinese city of Sanya this November. Pictured: Miss Kent Neha Dull, 23, (centre) performs a Bollywood dance in traditional dress Miss England will join Miss Scotland, Miss Wales and Miss Northern Ireland in the Miss World final later this year. Pictured: Nervous hopefuls were snapped getting their hair and makeup done in preparation for this year's finale<doc-sep>
A Teesside University student has been crowned Miss England. Alisha Cowie, 18, broke down in tears after being announced the winner of the pageant last night. But when her proud mum, Amy-May, took to the stage to hug her daughter she was ushered away by security. In a video posted online, you can see Amy-May tell the guards "that's my daughter" before she was taken off. Another person is also seen trying to congratulate Alisha but they are also told to get off the stage. Alisha, a Forensic Crime Scene Investigation student , will now go on to represent the country in the Miss World competition, which is taking place in the Chinese city of Sanya this December. (Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire) The Miss England pageant took place in at Kelham Hall and Country Park in Nottinghamshire. There the 50 finalists showed off their good looks and unique talents in the show, with rounds including a fashion show, talent showcase and an evening wear catwalk. Alisha, from Spennymoor, County Durham, got through to the Miss England finals after being crowned Miss Newcastle. (Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire) Taking to Instagram after the event, Alisha said: "I am totally thrilled and honoured to have this title and I can’t wait to represent my beautiful country in Miss World. "I have so many thank you’s to give out that I don’t think it would fit on one post however I will reply to message as and when I can. "Thank you again for all of the support."