The long legs, huge eyes and glowing complexion say it all. KATHERINE MACALISTER meets Emma Appleton, the new face of Oxford Fashion Week 2011.

NINETEEN-year-old Emma Appleton was astonished to have been chosen as The Face of OFW, beating 152 other hopefuls to the post.

Voting reached fever pitch with more than 3,500 votes being cast following publication in the Oxford Mail of the final 10 models, and organiser Carl Angrim is delighted with the response.

Auditions were held all over Oxford and the UK to find the face for OFW 2011 and Carl says he was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of voters, following the initial catwalk auditions in December.

About 49 wannabe models, were then shortlisted and photo shoots and interviews followed to cut the number down to the final 10.

Voters then pledged their support via an OFW Facebook website.

Carl is happy he has chosen the right face for the fashion extravaganza, which kicks off next month.

Carl, OFW executive producer, says: “It was very difficult to narrow it down from 152 to just one, but The Face needed to be someone who could be themselves, a fantastic role model and the perfect ambassador for OFW as well as someone who’s fun.

“Emma was the only candidate that fitted all of these categories.”

The remaining 79 models needed for the five catwalk shows, will be announced at the end of January.

Emma, 5ft 10, size 8, brunette from Witney, who only found out this week that she had nabbed the top spot, says: “It hasn’t sunk in yet but I’m really looking forward to it. It’s such an exciting opportunity.”

The former pupil of Wood Green School took up professional modelling after featuring in the OFW 2010 lingerie show last year.

“Featuring on the catwalk at Malmaison was so exciting,” she grins. “It gives you such an adrenaline buzz.”

So did Emma get nervous beforehand? “We were quite nervous at rehearsals, but when we walked out on the day we were amazed by how many people had turned up to watch,” she says.

“It just shows how many people know about OFW and how fast it is growing into an enormous annual event.”

As for parading in front of Oxford’s fashionistas in her underwear, Emma says: “It’s the industry, so you can’t be self conscious. It’s part and parcel of the job. And I have a very healthy diet. I refuse to compromise on that. So although I don’t go to a gym, I swim regularly and spend a lot of time walking around London going to castings.

“What is hard,” she adds, “is walking into a room of beautiful girls at a casting session and knowing that you have to stand-out and be the one that they remember”.

But as the new face of OFW, Emma Appleton is now just that.

* As a media partner for Oxford Fashion Week the Oxford Mail will be reporting on all OFW news so watch this space.