Media Release April 2011

INTRODUCING NEW ZEALAND’S YOUNG FASHION STYLIST WINNER HOPE MCCONNELL

AMP Capital Shopping Centres (AMPCSC) and Girlfriend Magazine are delighted to announce Tauranga teen Hope McConnell as the overall winner of the Young Fashion Stylist Competition.

Winning by public vote, 14-year-old Hope was the clear favourite of the four Young Fashion Stylist finalists. She received 52% of all votes for the three unique looks she created each month by shopping at Bayfair Shopping Centre.

The finalists were chosen from more than 300 entrants and challenged to create a series of fashion ‘looks’ by shopping with vouchers at their local AMP Capital Shopping centre. Each finalist was restricted to a budget of $300 to $400 for each look, and tasked with crafting a new look each month to be uploaded to the web for public voting.

Hope produced a range of on-trend and inspirational looks, from a rustic glamour summer style to an all-American casual look, luxe faux fur autumn presentation and red carpet ready ball look.

AMPCSC National Marketing Manager Desiree Clark says the search for New Zealand’s Young Fashion Stylist was a unique and first-to-market retail initiative in New Zealand. “We are thrilled to announce Hope as the winner of the Young Fashion Stylist competition. Her passion for fashion was evident from the start and it has been a pleasure to see her talent grow throughout the course of the competition.

“It was interesting to see how each of the finalists chose to use her vouchers, and we are happy to learn that the girls have also taken away some valuable life skills, such as budgeting, time management and decision-making, from the experience.”

A Year 10 student at Tauranga Girls’ College, Hope was overwhelmed by the news of her win and says, “I was beyond excited and could hardly contain myself when I received the news.

“I really hoped to win, but all the other girls were really good too. I just set my mind to doing my best and having fun with a rare opportunity to shop with such a creative brief.”

The Young Fashion Stylist competition was created to inspire young minds and encourage smart spending among youth. Hope said the competition was “a real learning curve” which increased her confidence, and she now encourages anyone thinking about pursuing their dreams to “give it a shot, you never know what you might discover.”

As the winner, Hope features in a double-page spread of the April issue of Girlfriend, receives a 12-month subscription to Girlfriend, a professional make-up kit containing a full range of Maybelline New York products valued at $400, and the items she selected at Bayfair Shopping Centre to create each of her looks.

To view the looks styled by the AMPCSC Young Fashion Stylist winner Hope McConnell and the other three finalists, visit http://nz.youth.yahoo.com/girlfriend/.

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