Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

Elephant Man and his guest dancer wowed the crowd. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

The pioneering Kingsley Cooper of Pulse has been at the forefront of the Caribbean fashion industry, helping to chart a course for regional and international recognition for models, fashion designers and fashionistas for some three decades now.

Over the years, his organisation has unearthed such prodigious talents as Althea Laing, Angela Neil, Kimberly Mais, Romae Gordon, Lois Samuels, Jaunel McKenzie, the unlikely success story of Nadine Willis, Carla Campbell, Nell Robinson and others.

Many modelling agencies have sprung up over the years and tried hard to mimic Pulse's success but most have come to naught, while others still struggle to make an impact.

And so it was that last Sunday saw the staging of the highly acclaimed annual Caribbean Model Search, a Pulse signature event. Hosted in the grand ballroom of the Hilton hotel on Knutsford Boulevard, the event was another display of showmanship and trendsetting, avant-garde style!

Pumpkins, with a host of fashion hopefuls queuing for the right to be crowned the fashion-find of 2008, and with hordes of family and friends strategically placed throughout the ballroom to create a sense of universal appeal to the audience, the battle was on!

class act

Well, those in the know are aware that for many the event is grist for fashion followers who regard it as haute entertainment, especially the expected spectacle some vying for the 'crown' create when onstage.

Well, this year's production proved a class act. With urban subcultural life and motifs as its theme, the stage - a zinc fence decorated with urban graffiti, was used eloquently to announce the triumphs of Pulse's leading ladies. The entertainment saw true-blue dancehall royalty in the personages of dancehall's self styled-energy god, aka Elephant Man; the unflappable D'Angel, as well as Bling Dawg and Chi Ching.

Luvs, they all gave applause-earning performances, but I swear and declare that it was the unscripted 'performance' by the awesomely talented and oh so lithe Cristina Gonzales that took the cake!

gonzales stole the show

When headliner Elephant Man asked for a female volunteer from the audience to help him execute his dance acts, little did he know that the volunteer was none other than the accomplished Gonzales from the National Dance Theatre Company, and honeys, the missy can dance, and literally stole the show!

There she was, looking like Miss Goody-two-shoes, a St Andrew 'browning' to boot, and then she exploded like a diva of the dancehall, hip to the latest moves, and strutting them with authenticity. She had the audience howling in paroxysm of laughter, bred from surprised disbelief. In a word or two, she was simply fab, surprising Elephant Man himself!

And then there were the collections!

Oh my, two awesome for mere superlatives, but we try!

From Minka to Lubica, Mutamba, Biggy, Moncrieffe, they were all great, but Kenwea Linto simply knocked your socks off! Honeys, he was so very good, he was bad! Nothing trendy here, only haute style and couture never looked so good!

Now, with a roster of some near 50 finalists to select from, y'all know that the judges had a task on their hands! In the end, they triumphed, as Michaela Ramlal emerged as their pick for the Petite Model. Andre Swaby was adjudged the Male Face of 2008 and a modelling savant was crowned (and interestingly enough, she being only 13) as Shermonique Ivey was adjudged the Caribbean Fashion Model winner.

shining star

And trust moi, Ivey may have been the baby of the group, but she was definitely the shining star on the catwalk! It was a truly fab night and a truly fabulous event!

Among the notables were: head Of European Union delegation Ambassador Marco Mazzocchi-Alemanni and his son, Francesco Mazzocchi-Alemanni, Justice Ingrid Mangatal; Garveyite Sister Semaj, premier socialite, the tres elegant Jennifer Lim, the charming Hilary Phillips, QC, Professor Dr Carolyn Cooper, Guerney Beckford, Iris Whittaker, Barry Moncrieffe, Clelia Barreto de Hunter, Patrick Bailey, the lovely Lystra Sharpe, Carl Bliss, Tal and Denise Stokes; Patrick Pitter, Joseph Bogdanovich and Nadine Willis, Mishale Campbell, Kanhai Condison and Pat Townsend, Kevin Thompson of Laface Models, Nicole Grey, the fab Carla Campbell, the promising Rochelle Notice, Steven Pottinger, Clodine Luton, budding singer and Nubian Prince; Marlon Face, Lavon Bryan, and her daughter Camille Bryan and her companion Mark Thomas, and their son, toddler Christian, and two of last year's winners, Latesha Coleman and Alvin Larmanp.