A design student from Marlow proved herself a cut above the rest as she won a prestigious award for her work creating a range of hair products for a top High Street brand.

Amersham and Wycombe College student Jessica Williamson was one of only three budding designers from thousands across Europe and America to scoop a coveted YCN Award.

The YCN – or You Can Now Awards – shine a spotlight on emerging creative talent, with Jessica coming up with a concept for the redesign of a range of products for Sally Hair and Beauty.

The 20-year-old student said: “I am overwhelmed, stunned and very proud of the result. I really didn’t expect that.

“I read the brief, did the research, came up with a mood board of ideas and worked up my designs from there.

“I tried to make the product appealing, clearly labelled and contemporary. It took me about a month to complete the project but I am really delighted the hard work has paid off.”

As well as her skills at design, the creative Marlovian is also an up-and-coming musician and will be playing a set at this weekend's Marlow Town Regatta.

Launched in 2001, the YCN Student Awards run closely alongside leading universities, colleges and art and design schools within Europe and North America.

The prizes are based around collections of live creative briefs, written each year by diverse partnering organisations. Students, and those that graduated within the last 12 months are invited to take part.

Beth Ring, deputy head of creative industries at the college said: “This is a fantastic achievement not only for Jessica but for the college too.

“This result puts us right up there with the very best creative work currently being produced by students on an international level.”