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>(Picture: Sara Iftekhar/Facebook, GoFundMe) Sara Iftekhar, a law student from Huddersfield, is one of 50 contestants in the final stages of the Miss England beauty contest. She is also the first Muslim woman wearing a hijab in the final. Earlier this year, we reported how Maria, another Muslim contestant wearing a headscarf, was the first Muslim contestant to enter the competition but Sara, 20, is the first to get this far in the elimination rounds. She will walk down the catwalk at Kelham Hall in Nottinghamshire next week, when the winner is decided. After winning the Miss Huddersfield 2018 and Miss Yorkshire Popularity 2018 contests, Sara has her eyes set on the Miss England title, the woman from the UK who will go on to represent the nation in Miss World. ‘Wow, I can’t even comprehend how amazing it felt for my name to be announced as a finalist in the Miss England Finals 2018,’ she told her Instagram followers. ‘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.’ (Picture: Sara Iftekhar/Facebook) The competition is raising funds for Beauty with a Purpose, a charity that has helped underprivileged children, displaced children in Vietnam and and cleft palate teams in South America, Sri Lanka and Russia, as well as people affected by natural disasters. Sara has used her platform to show support for the charity and set up a Go Fund Me page. On the page, she wrote: ‘I participated in Miss 2018 in order to show that beauty doesn’t have a definition.’ ‘Everyone is beautiful in their own ways, regardless of their weight, race, colour or shape.’ If Sara wins the title, she’ll be going to Sanya in China to represent England at Miss World. Good luck to Sara. MORE : Balmain has a new army of models but none of them are human MORE : All political parties should be investigated for Islamophobia – lives depend on it MORE : ‘Beauty test dummy’ is a real full-time job that pays<doc-sep>Sara Iftekhar, a 20-year-old law student from West Yorkshire, is set to become the very first Miss England contestant to wear a hijab while competing in the final stages of the beauty pageant. She’s currently studying for a law degree at the University of Huddersfield and holds the title of Miss Huddersfield 2018. While there have been previous instances of Muslim women who wear hijabs taking part in the Miss England contest, Iftekhar will soon be the first to reach the finals while doing so. Recommended Models protest Danish burqa ban during Copenhagen fashion show If the law student is named Miss England 2018, she’ll then represent the country at the Miss World contest, the longest running international beauty pageant in the world. This year’s Miss World pageant is taking place on December 8 in Sanya, China and will be the 68th iteration of the competition. Iftekhar will find out whether she’s reached the global contest after she takes part in the Miss England pageant in Nottinghamshire today and tomorrow. The women taking part in this year’s Miss England contest have been encouraged to raise money for the charity “Beauty with a Purpose”, which was founded by Miss World Chairwoman and CEO Julia Morley. Iftekhar has explained her motivation for taking part in Miss England on the GoFundMe page that she set up for the charity, which raises money for underprivileged children around the world. “I participated in Miss [England] 2018 in order to show that beauty doesn’t have a definition, everyone is beautiful in their own ways, regardless of their weight, race, colour or shape,” she wrote. A number of people have expressed their admiration for Iftekhar on social media and their opposition to some of the discriminatory comments that she’s received. Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Show all 8 1 /8 Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features Muslim fashion designer features hijabs at New York Fashion Week Anniesa Hasibuan show, runway, Spring Summer 2017, New York Fashion Week Rex Features “People are angry over a Muslim winning Miss England? Personally, I’m happy to see diversity. Celebrate her beauty!” one person wrote on Twitter. Another person wrote: “Fantastic that this year’s Miss England finals will have a Muslim student wearing the hijab for the first time. Great to celebrate the beauty in our diversity.” Taking part in beauty pageants isn’t Iftekhar’s only fashionable pursuit, as she also created her own clothing business at the age of 16. Earlier this year, model Halima Aden made history by becoming the first hijab-wearing model to appear on the cover of British Vogue in the publication’s 102-year history.<doc-sep>
Sara Iftekhar is studying law at Huddersfield University in West Yorkshire region of England. A Pakistani-origin student from northern England is set to become the first hijab-wearing finalist of the Miss England beauty pageant in Nottinghamshire. Sara Iftekhar, who is studying law at Huddersfield University in West Yorkshire region of England, will contest against 49 other hopefuls this evening for the crown after she had won the Miss Huddersfield 2018 title in July. The 20-year-old, who also works as a make-up artist, is popular on social media and posts pictures of herself in traditional Pakistani outfits on her Instagram page. "I did not expect to be making history. I do feel proud. At the end of the day, I may be the first woman to wear a hijab [at the Miss England final]. However, I am just a regular girl and we all have a fair opportunity in this contest," Ms Sara said, adding that she decided to take part in Miss England for "a bit of fun". "If I want to cover myself up and dress modestly why should that be an issue? I am just like the other contestants. If I am sending out that message it will motivate other people to participate in a beauty contest," she said. At the age of 16, the make-up enthusiast started up a clothing business and donated profits to Beauty with a Purpose - a charity backed by the Miss World organisation. On a fundraising page she set up for the children's charity, she wrote, "I participated in Miss 2018 in order to show that beauty doesn't have a definition. Everyone is beautiful in their own ways, regardless of their weight, race, colour or shape". "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," she wrote on her Instagram page. The winner of tonight's event at Kelham Hall in Newark, Nottinghamshire, will represent England at the Miss World competition in Sanya, China, in December this year.