Two Top Antiguan Models Selected by Elite

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Fashion & Beauty

Wednesday, 21 September 2011 02:30

By Aisha Caleb

Antigua St John's - It was Antigua’s Next Top Model with a difference, and as the numbers were whittled down from over 30 young women to 10, the excitement and anticipation were palpable as representatives of the prestigious Elite Model Management chose 19-year-old Krystal Benjamin and 17-year old Mirium Wright to represent Antigua & Barbuda in Trinidad later this year.

The event was a first for . Young women between the ages of 14 and 22 turned up at the Multi Purpose Cultural Center, where they were encouraged to participate in the first leg of the competition. Speaking to Caribarena.com, Vice President of Elite Model Management Jean-Pierre Begon expressed elation at the prospect of being able to find a fresh, Caribbean beauty in Antigua.

He said this was his first visit to the island, but he had already seen the potential for several young women to broaden their modeling horizons. While the physical attributes are key, Begon said there are other factors to consider.

“They must have a good personality. Sometimes they are not chosen because of their size or their age; this does not mean they are not beautiful," he noted.

"Even if we don’t send a girl to Shanghai, we can send them to work in one of the other international countries. What we are looking for is between 15 and 18; we don’t like them to win when they are too young. So we take our time to polish them. Some are going to school, and we will never ask them to leave school to be a model the next day.”

When asked what inspired the agency to scout the Caribbean for talent, Begon said, “Caribbean people are actually very friendly and happy people. You can see it on the girls, the way they present themselves. And I don’t see why a Caribbean girl could not be on the runway of Milan and New York and working for magazines like Elite.”

John Bilboa, director of Elite Model Management, added, “One of the most important things is that she photographs well; she has the basic requirements and then that little extra something that will make her spark. We’re in an industry that’s very competitive, and so the girl must have that individuality."

Antiguan pageantry co-ordinator Bernard Gould was also a judge at the preliminary event. He said apart from the superficial aspect, being a model requires humility and personality.   

Benjamin and Wright will represent Antigua at the regional final on November 12 at the Hyatt Regency in Trinidad. They will compete against 20 other delegates from eight other Caribbean territories - Barbados, Suriname, St Lucia, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St Vincent & the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Both spoke almost in unison about their immediate reaction to being adjudged the top two candidates. Benjamin said, “I’m feeling nervous, and I am thankful for the opportunity and the support.” Wright echoed this, and said she was quite excited. She also wished the other candidates better luck in the future.

The top three regional picks will travel to Hong Kong this December to participate in the Elite Model Look World Competition, where $500,000 in modeling with Elite will be up for grabs. Elite Model Management represents more than 2,000 models, with over 50 agencies across five continents. It has represented international supermodels such as Iman, Cindy Crawford, and Gisele Bundchen.

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