The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

FOR the seventh time the Supermodel of the Bahamas Model Search competition is back with 11 contestants for the coveted 2014 title.

Supermodel of the Bahamas was founded by Oilinsha Coakley, owner of Oilinsha Models and Talent, and similar to America’s Next Top Model, the agency discovers new faces and trains them for the life of a model.

Held over three consecutive nights, the competition starts on Friday with a launch party at Conch Fritters Bar and Grill (across from the British Colonial Hotel), at 7.30 pm. The Swimsuit and Body Award competition is at the Town Hotel, George Street, on Saturday (7.30pm) and the finale at Sur Club Sushi Bar on Sunday at 8 pm.

Tickets are on sale at all venues, $50 general admission and $65 for VIP entry, which allows access to a cocktail reception and after-party. Gawain on Saxophone will be a featured guest performer at the finale.

Embracing this year’s ‘Angelic’ theme, the 11 male and female contestants are Kendrika O’Connor, Stephoine St Louis, Shaquille Bonab, Shania Pinder, Lynden Ranger, Sharonique Russell, Michael Anderson, Britney Datus, Patrico Griffin, Ashanti Kemp and Sanches Thompson.

Mr Coakley said each year is a different experience and has its rocky points but the organisation received strong funding this year.

“A lot of persons, either they say they don’t have the funding or they don’t believe in what you’re doing, but God has been awesome straight through from the beginning and he has never left me hanging,” Mr Coakley said. “I’ve had a lot of people donating stuff this year and coming on board as helpers and giving gifts and prizes. These are 11 beautiful kids, male and female ages 16 to 22. Some of them are returned from last year. They wanted to return again to see if they would carry the title this year.”

Rehearsals for contestants started on Saturday and with a model search little practicing is done ahead of time.

“I give them homework where they have to do their research about the industry and learn as much as they can on their own without me,” Mr Coakley said. “Recruiting this 11 has taken me six months to interview people from around the island. I spoke to over 68 young men and women to get this 11. Most of the persons I’ve interviewed are very physically beautiful but it is the inner discipline and beauty that I was looking for. You can’t take an undisciplined person anywhere in the world to represent this country.”

The 2013 winners were Patricka Ferguson and Lacarz Brown, the best winners the organisation has had yet Mr Brown said. They participated in Vancouver Fashion Week and did well.

“Patricka received 7,018,000 hits worldwide from being booked by Emmy Award-winning photographer Michael Grecco for a commercial,” he said. “There is a video link to that via the Supermodel of the Bahamas Facebook page. That commercial is being shown all around the world and it is also on YouTube. “She has been a very humble kid that is easy to promote. Her parents have been very supportive and she always shows up with a positive spirit and attitude when you call on her. She is still currently signed with me.”

He said what differentiates the Super Model of the Bahamas Model Search from local pageants is the contract given to winners.

“In pageants they have a one-year reign as beauty queens. However with the models the purpose of the search is to find great potential models that can do well internationally and they are signed to a five-year contract as opposed to just representing the country for a year,” said Mr Coakley.