By Alicia Roache, Staff ReporterTHE SEARCH for the Caribbean's next supermodel came to a dramatic and climactic end on Sunday night.
While it has yet to be seen if either winner will become supermodels, one thing is certain the winners, 15-year-old Ghinelle Germaine, and 19-year-old Orane Barrett are ahead of the just over 7,000 entrants from around the Caribbean.
Ghinelle, won both the 'Jamaica Fashion Model' and the 'Caribbean Fashion Model' titles in a night that was filled with drama and excitement. After winning the 'Jamaica Fashion Model' title from about 100 finalists, Ghinelle walked teary-eyed down the runway, overwhelmed by her placement.
After beating representatives from the Caribbean in what was undoubtedly a stiff competition, Ghinelle was overwhelmed. "I'm speechless. I really did not expect this," she said backstage.
CARIBBEAN FINALS
The finals of the 'Caribbean Fashion Model' title had the top five finalists in the 'Jamaica Fashion Model' competition: Ghinelle Germaine, Peta-Gaye Daley, Kadian Harwks, Sadeera Shaw and Candace Alexander competing with finalists from other Caribbean countries; Mikieda Franklin, St Kitts; Natasha Fynnes, Bahamas; Annella Bascombe, St. Vincent; Leanna Jarvis, Cayman; Yolandra Johns and Valene Maharaj, Trinidad and Tobago; Nada Yearwood, Barbados and Morlena Robinson, New York.
Second place went to Peta-Gaye Daley of Jamaica, while third place went to Leanna Jarvis from Cayman.
Orane, a recent graduate of Munro College in St. Elizabeth, commanded the attention of the audience on Saturday night with a warrior-like walk down the runway in a fitting design by Mutamba. If there were questions about who would win, he cleared them up then. He later celebrated backstage, thanking
everyone for his victory.
THANKS
"I'd like to thank God for helping me carry home this victory," he said, "Got to mention my family... of course my friends John-John, Alex, everybody. And thanks to Pulse and the organisation for helping me win this victory."
On Sunday, his appearance was a bit more laid back in red and white, but he still had the attitude of a winner and the support of the crowd. Six Jamaicans, including Orane, competed with Anthony Parchment of Cayman and Nigel Wallace, Scott Kelly, Alexander King and Jamel Layne of Barbados.
At the end, the dreadlocked heartthrob from Jamaica, Odingo Echteld, placed second, while blue-eyed, blond-haired Alexander King of Barbados placed third. But Orane was confident from the begining that he would win.
The first to third-place winners will receive development contracts over two years from Pulse, valued at $100,000, $75,000 and $50,000 respectively.
