Region's models continue to rise

• Pulse young guns under way
• Sedene enjoys more editorial spreads

Thirty-two years ago, the modern Caribbean modelling industry was born. Kingsley Cooper, a young attorney, got the idea that Jamaicans could be international supermodels. As absurd as it seemed at the time, Cooper started the Caribbean's first international model agency (Pulse), the region's first model search (Caribbean Model Search), held a competition and took the top two to Paris (Denise Sloley and Jheanell Azan).

Since then, Pulse has discovered and developed an amazing group of global supermodels from Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, unprecedented in every respect. Today, the young men and women who have emerged from the annual exercise (Caribbean Model Search), represent the finest that the region has to offer.

Individually and collectively, they have risen to become some of the best in the world. They have made their names in the grand cities of fashion. Their images have covered billboards in New York, London, and Paris and they are renowned throughout the Caribbean

Fashion's best companies have turned to these locally groomed models as ambassadors for their super brands. Over the years, it would be very difficult to find an edition of Vogue or any other major magazine in which they have not appeared. Similarly, any important fashion designer for whom they have not done runway duties, or any major brand for which they have not been campaign stars. They are also now juggling multiple facets of fashion and entertainment, adding recording artiste and acting duties to their résumés.

The long list includes Lois Samuels, Angela Neil, Althea Laing, Juline Samuels, Lincoln Wynter, Kimberley Mais, Trudy Gray, Nikki Morris, Michelle Moodie, Nikki Vassell, Charmaine Clarke, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Romae Gordon, Justine Willoughby, Carla Campbell, Alex King, Tenille Stoute, Jheanell Azan, Nadine Willis, Jaunel McKenzie, Kimanee Wilson, Sanya Hughes, Oreinthia Russell, Sunna Gottshalk, Rochelle Watson, Tessa Henry, Reshima Hemmings, Nicole Gray, Oraine Barrett, Gaye McDonald, Khalil Marks, Nell Robinson, Jeneil Williams, Sedene Blake and Alexia Palmer.

New fashion frontiers

Williams and Blake, who have been the dominant duo of the past two years, continue to advance to new fashion frontiers, while Jaunel McKenzie, Gaye McDonald and Oraine Barrett have become firm fixtures in the roster of creative directors and casting agents booking campaigns for Ralph Lauren, L'Oreal, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue, to mention a few.

Williams is appearing in an 11-page editorial for the current edition of Elle Magazine and staring as Mad Max in the new and edgy, LoveCat magazine. For her part, Sedene is now out in her second editorial for Italian Vogue.

Now, the 'new next generation' of young stars is on the horizon and they are eager to follow on the heels of those who have charted an unprecedented course which has created the life-altering opportunities that they seek.

Last year's winners are set to embark on international careers with the outstanding Alexia Palmer, already fast out of the blocks after becoming the first Caribbean national to book Vogue directly from the region. Palmer had not even met the editors of the most important fashion editorial publication but nevertheless got the nod to shoot a major photo spread after Pulse's GM Romae Gordon sent Polaroids of her to the agents and representatives of the magazine.

The rich tradition of the Caribbean model search will continue when Pulse selects new winners at the annual event on Friday, October 28, at the Pulse Centre.