BRADFORD singer Elishia Edwards’ star is rising after recently walking the catwalk at Africa Fashion week and being made an ambassador with a leading fashion retailer.

Miss Edwards, 23, was chosen from hundreds of models at the fashion week in London earlier this month, and modelled for a number of African designers in front of a crowd which included the King of Nigeria.

As well as appearing at the fashion show, Miss Edwards has also been signed up as a brand ambassador by sports fashion retailer JD Sports.

She also moved to London earlier this year and is training at leading dance centre Studio 68, as well as recording more music and modelling.

Last year Miss Edwards was signed to Rich Hipster, a record label run by Grammy Award-winning artist Chrisette Michele, and released her debut single Bradford Baddie.

She travelled to Los Angeles to work with Michele, and has also held recording sessions in New York. Closer to home she performed at Bradford’s Windrush Festival earlier this year.

She said: “It’s been an amazing year, there are so many opportunities in London.

“I’ve been signed to modelling and dance agencies and recently signed with JD Sports to be a brand ambassador.

“I went to a casting for Africa Fashion Week and was picked from hundreds of people, and I did about 12 walks during the week, the designers would pick you to walk for them.

“We had to go and bow for the King of Nigeria which was a big moment, it was an amazing experience.

“Over the past few months I have been doing modelling, dancing and singing, it’s good to have my eggs in different baskets.

“Chrisette has been really supportive to me doing dancing and modelling, she said it’s all about following your heart, and it will help me with my singing career so I can dance on stage.

“Christte is mentoring me, we recorded music in New York which we still need to finish and I have been working on a new single too.

“I used to work at JD so it’s nice to now be an ambassador, they send me clothes every week and invite me to all sorts of events so that’s going really well.

“I was selected from thousands of people to be an ambassador, so to be chosen was a nice feeling.”

A former student at Thornton Grammar School, now Beckfoot Thornton, Miss Edwards returned to her old school just before the end of term to give dance lessons and share her story with current students.

“There was a big display up about me in the school, it was an honour for me to be invited back,” she added.

Africa Fashion Week took place at Freemasons' Hall in London on August 10 and 11, and featured designers representing countries all over Africa, including Angola, the Congo, Ghana, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, as well as designers of African descent from the UK, USA and the Netherlands.