Two Balham sixth formers with a passion for fashion are finalists in a London Fashion Week competition.

Lee-Ann Willoughby and Jacqueline Boakye, from St Francis Xavier College, will see their creations modelled on catwalks later this month.

The 17-year-olds will represent Wandsworth in the final of this year’s awards, run by the charity Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD).

Miss Boakye said: “My mum is really excited and she has helped me a lot, telling me just to go for it and not give up and now I am here.

“It’s actually amazing. This has really helped me to decide what I want to do in further education, so I’m really grateful for that.”

The 2009 FAD Junior Awards, held at Vauxhall Fashion Scout on Tuesday, September 22, and will showcase 23 young designers from eight London boroughs.

Selected from 130 young people, the Wandsworth finalists spent a week at FAD’s summer school held at Central Saint Martins College in July.

Supported by a team of tutors, the teenagers had just five days to develop their finished designs.

The competition will be judged by bigwigs at River Island, WGSN.com and John Lewis, with the winner gaining a work placement in industry.

The lucky youngsters will also tour London, visiting design studios at River Island and John Lewis.

FAD aims to bridge the gap between education and industry and past finalists have gone on to study at the London College of Fashion and Chelsea School of Art & Design.