But the models that have been selected as finalists for The Muse Search of the Islands of the World Fashion Week (IWFW) will have to encapsulate the whole package.
The 15 semifinalists selected will have to do more than just look the part but have the ‘it’ factor which organizers of the award winning IWFW say they are looking for in one male and female out of the bunch.
"We want a face that’s fresh, we want a face that’s new and we want a face that is going to be able to be marketed not only in the region or the Caribbean, but a face that will be able to market IWFW for an entire year throughout the world," IWFW Operations Consultant Theodore Sealy told members of the press Tuesday.
"If someone from another island state wins, managing that person from abroad can be a challenge. So, we are looking for someone who is not only aesthetically appealing, but someone who can have proper time management, someone who has a level head on their shoulders and high scores in the maturity department. Basically a well rounded individual is who we will want to work with at the end of the competition."
After two months of sorting through more than 100 applicants, the finalists were selected from The Bahamas, Trinidad, Barbados, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Curacao, and Nevis.
Along with becoming the face of the region’s premier fashion event, the lucky male and female winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize, $1,000 of which they will have to donate to the charity of their choice.
The models, Mr. Sealy explained, will be expected to go through various photo shoots throughout the three day event. Those photos, he said, will be presented to the judges at their private interviews, which are expected to take place this morning.
"In the judges’ screening they will go over all of the models’ photos from the various photo shoots that they would have done prior to the final night of competition. With regards to them being judged on the runway, they will be judged on marketability and how well they sell themselves on the runway," Mr. Sealy said.
"We know that in the fashion and modeling industry specifically, it’s all about aesthetic appeal. So, the judges will be judging the female and male delegates on how well they present themselves and the clothing."
The models will be shot by Bahamian photographers and styled by Bahamian stylists as well, which is all in keeping with the organizations promise of utilizing Bahamian talent and Bahamian companies to produce the three day event.
President of Mode Iles and Creator of the award winning IWFW Owen Bethel explained that not only is the event good news for The Bahamas, but for many in the fashion industry who have been yearning for the chance to showcase their work in a mature industry.
While the fashion industry is still growing and has a considerable amount of time to go before it can affect drastic change in the budding industry, Mr. Bethel said the event puts The Bahamas’ fashion industry well on its way to becoming world class.
"We want to assist in the development of the fashion industry in The Bahamas and to literally take the designers and models outside to the international world.
"IWFW was created under the sponsorship of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The goal is to showcase designers from island nations around the world and to be able to secure international exposure for both the buyers and the media.
"So, all that we have done particularly with the model search is to provide the same concept so that models will now be able to get that exposure for it," Mr. Bethel said.
The winners of The Muse Model Search competition will be announced this week.
