THE FINALISTS of a major new beauty pageant showcased their wares in Middlesbrough yesterday (Saturday, February 23).

The hunt for Miss Cleveland 2013 will see 16 of the competition’s finalists vie against each other in an eco-fashion round at the finals next week.

Ahead of the big night, the wannabe beauty queens arrived at Middlesbrough’s Hillstreet Centre shopping centre to show off their green creations.

Strutting their stuff in aid of the Beauty with a Purpose charity, the women showcased a series of eco-fashion outfits made from recycled materials including newspapers and plastic.

The eco-fashion round was created by the team behind Miss Cleveland as a modern, more conscientious replacement for the traditional swimwear round.

The run-up to the first ever Miss Cleveland pageant has seen finalists take part in a series of fundraising events to benefit their nominated charity Beauty with Purpose and other local charities, including skydives, bungee jumps and sponsored runs.

The finals of the competition will be held on Saturday, March 2 at the Swan Hotel in Billingham from 6pm. It will be hosted by Click Radio’s Joe Tasker and will also feature performances from the Bobby Dazzler Academy Senior Dance Squad.

The winner of Miss Cleveland will receive a number of prizes, including a trip to Blackpool, and will go on to compete in the Miss England contest.

Tickets for the final range from £14.95 to £39.95 and are onsale now from misscleveland.co.uk.