Winners in the Pulse Caribbean Model Search at the Hilton Kingston hotel on Sunday night. From left are Thandiwe Kirlew (petite model winner), Tka Briscoe (full-figure winner), Stacy Ann Wood (fashion model winner) and Matthew Brown (top male model). - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Pretty soon the public is going to have to reconsider bashing the modelling industry for misrepresenting 'real' women.

Following a growing global trend, fashion powerhouse Pulse hosted its first full-figure competition as part of the Caribbean Model Search (CMS) finals on Sunday at the Hilton Kingston. Tka Briscoe has the honour of winning the Caribbean's first full-figure model competition and it's one she is relishing as a proud delegate for the "everyday woman".

"I'm ecstatic to have been chosen as the first full-figure model in the history of Pulse and I feel honoured to provide an image that the everyday Caribbean woman can relate to. I intend to pursue modelling both locally and internationally while representing Jamaica to the fullest," Briscoe told The Gleaner.

Full-figure women

When dancehall artiste Timberlee, herself a plump artiste, began to introduce the full-figure women, the Hilton ballroom was in pandemonium. The women strutted while Timberlee sang Heels.

Although the crowd roared and heartily applauded 27-year old Gianna Fakhourie, it was Briscoe who got the judges' nod. Second place went to Alicia Myrie, while Nicolle Duffus-Lindsay was third. When the winner was announced there was chatter in the audience, with many people questioning if the MC, Empress, had made the correct announcement.

There were other categories at the show: the petite, fashion and male model competitions. Thandiwe Kirlew was the winner among the petite models. Second place went to Kimesha Leslie and Saralue James was third.

Matthew Brown was the top male model, Akeem Kerr was second and Leon Carpenter was third. Stacy Ann Wood was the fashion model winner. She will compete with the other women who rounded off the top 21, in the CMS reality TV series.

DANCE MOVES

Back track to the start of the show. The petite models came out dancing to hip-hop and dancehall songs. They were followed by the men, whose choreography was a bit untidy. The tall fashion models also danced and had a routine that was stronger than the previous ones.

Afterwards, they all strutted in swimwear. The men generated laughter from the women in the audience when they stepped out wearing tightly fitted swim trunks.

All, with the exception of the full figure models, wore high-fashion outfits from Moncrieffe, Cocoa Beans, Minka, Julan, Mutamba and Poshe.

Miss Jamaica Universe 2009, Carolyn Yapp, also made an appearance before Timberlee's entertaining and comedic performance.

To start, Timberlee urged the women to be independent, while she sang Bank Book, and made regular references to the current recession. She also said that men are not exempt from this so the women should not expect men to always take care of them. With attitude, she sang Bubble Like Soup, which the crowd thoroughly enjoyed. She ended with a new song called What Is Hot that was also well received.