Saint Fashion Face and Avant Garde
Published:Sunday | March 23, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Krysta Anderson, Gleaner Writer
It was a sea of pristine white with waves of radiant red, as Saint International's Campari-sponsored and inspired Fashion Face and Avant Garde designer of the year competitions got off to a glamorous start.
On Saturday, March 15, the Courtleigh Auditorium was transformed into a glitz of velvety red, as style aficionados were greeted by flashing lights and an elegant red carpet.
Their were roars of applause from the audience as their favourite fashion face and avant garde designer entered the stage. The hot batch of female contestants in pure white and shades of black and grey rocked the runway while their male counterparts followed with their powerful strides, eliciting exited screams from the women in the audience.
The motto for the evening, and the resonating theme throughout the night, was 'Changing Lives', as Saint's CEO Deiwght Peters spoke highly of the contestants. They came from the inner cities of Kingston and rural Jamaica, all aspiring to be the Fashion Face winner and have an international modelling career.
Former winners, who were highlighted for walking some of the major runways in Milan, Paris, and Africa, working with world-class designers, graced the stage and were truly beacons of hope for the contestants hoping to strut in their footsteps.
IIt fell to the panel of judges from Iinternational agencies to choose
the winner. Individually, they gave their insights for the next best
model, but all agreed that they were looking for something
unique.
That they found in Giovanni Johnson and Anushka McCalla,
with Albert Stevens and Sashagale McFarlane finishing second and
Odwayne Meikle and Chantelle Babootie copping the third
spot.
Avant Garde designer of the
year
The avant garde segment saw 19 alluring
Campari-inspired red designs vying for the top spot. The contenders
heated things up with the many manifestations of red. And with names
such as Spike My Drink, Bloodshot, Campari Goddess, Madame Rouge and
Hair so New (just to name a few), they did not
disappoint.
For the entertainment segment, TOK heated
things up further with a collection of current reggae and dancehall
hits, with a few blasts from the past. Everyone was seen rocking in
their seats, with some even rising to their feet.
And
the winner is ... . Nina Levy snagged third place, while André Rowe
missed his title, coming in second for his piece. The main prize of
$50,000, bragging rights, and a specially designed prize in the form of a
unique sculpture from artist and Edna Manley College graduate Marie
Gooden, were awarded to Simone 'Tasha' Gordon of T&T Fashions
for her breath-taking piece - Campari
Eclipse.