FORMER Miss Zimbabwe, Malaika Mushandu, will give pageant lovers another chance to see her strutting her stuff on the ramp when she contests in the Elite Model Look (EML) Zimbabwe finale at the Rainbow Towers Hotel on Saturday evening.
Report by Melissa Mpofu
French modeling agency, Elite Model Management (EMM) – which discovered successful United Kingdom-based Zimbabwean model Nyasha Matonhodze – has been in Zimbabwe since June on a mission to discover future top models.
With the conviction that there was definitely more where Matonhodze had come from, the agency sent its representatives in June to conduct a national casting for females aged between 14 and 22. The casting was successful and 20 young aspiring models drawn from different provinces were shortlisted to compete at the national finale. The models are now in camp preparing for the finale.
The models are Tracey Winterboer (15), Alisa Adams (14), Saahirah Ismail (15), Marble Nyathi (22), Lauren Macintosh (18), Rairo Gunguwo (21), Panashe Pfende (19), Beth McGaw (16), Malaika Mushandu (20), Rumbi Mazai (16), Fadzai Muvuti (19), Chipo Malinganiso (19), Robyn Lawler (16), Cathrine Chigarira (19), Tonderai Koschke (17), Carey Murphy (18), Marcia Bangure (20), Thabiso Phiri (20), Anesu Muzondo (15) and Chantel Georg (20).
The winner will be selected based on photogenic qualities, personality, natural beauty and potential to correspond to current fashion trends.
EML president Michaela Goddard-Quesada will be in the country on Friday to head the judging panel at the first EML Zimbabwe search. EML Zimbabwe executive director, Janice Costa, confirmed the developments saying Michaela was going around the globe judging the search.
“Michaela’s coming to Zimbabwe will also give her the opportunity to see the talent in the country. Judging of the event will be very strict because we are trying to get the best girl that can be versatile and can sell on the international market,” she said.
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The ultimate goal of the national contest is to win a spot in the world final to be held in China in December.
“The winner of the Zimbabwe EML contest will be participating in the world finale. It will be an all-expenses paid trip and she will have to battle it out with 59 other contestants from other countries for the ultimate title,” she said.
The top three winners of the EML world final contest will secure contracts worth ₤300 000 awarded by Elite Model Management. They will also sign contracts with the global EMM network.
The contest helped launch the careers of some of the most famous names and faces in fashion and entertainment, including Gisèlle Bündchen, Alessandra Ambrosio, Tyra Banks, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Diane Kruger, Naomi Campbell, and Stephanie Seymour. Elite today manages over 2 000 models.
