MODEL LOOK 2014: A NIGHT OF STYLE AND FASHION

One of the worst things that can happen to a contestant in a competition is to place second. Coming behind the winner presents that awkward moment when you missed the coveted crown by whiskers. Cheers and chants from the crowd don’t make the pain easier. You had held on to that little ray of hope with each shout of your name. Now your breath escapes through your nostril in short, hot burst as the host announces the winner. In that split second before the announcement is made, the adrenalin rush, the sweaty hands and the pulsating beat of your heart confirms that there is much at stake.

You are waiting to hear the familiar name that spells your identity. Instead you are jolted by the sound, of a strange but known name spells your defeat. The cheers turn to sigh of pity. The once happy faces become solemn. Somewhere in the crowd, a dejected plea is registered that you ought to be in the spotlight. The kaleidoscope of victory should be beaming on you. Despite these myriad of feelings, you have to put up a brave and bold face while the cameras flash. You do not want to be caught seething in anger or with a stubborn heartbroken tear coursing down your face.

This is the moment that records you as the one who nearly won.
This was probably how  Bolu Olaitan and Adesola felt when they lost the much coveted crown of the Aquafina Elite Model Look contest in the male and female category to Victor Ndigwe and Mayowa  Nicholas respectively last weekend at the Eko Hotel and Suites. Bolu and Adesola appeared to be the crowd’s favourite. Unfortunately, the judges had the final say. Some of the criteria that the contestants were assessed on included poise, carriage, looks and walk. The two runner-ups were not the only ones who felt a sense of loss.  Some parents of the top 10 finalists in the audience who earlier had smiling, expectant faces and were cheering loudly as their ward appeared on stage were downcast when their children didn’t make it to the end.

In what could be described as a great attempt at grandeur, Elohor Aisien’s  Beth Model Agency and Paul Okoye’s Upfront and Personal partnered with Aquafina to host numerous guests for the seventh edition of the Elite Model Look Nigeria.
Expectedly, the show had all the perks of a fashion show. The brightly lit runway and stage portrayed the sheer continuum of glitz and glamour. The fashionable guests who thronged the venue in their fabulous and stylish attires made the event colourful and tasteful. Paparazzis had a field day with each strike and poise on the blue carpet hallway.

A-list celebrities like Peter Okoye of P-Square, Ndidi Anumudu, Yvonne Ekwere, Genevieve Nnaji, Rasaq and Shade Okoya,  and a host of others decked out in their gorgeous outfits to the venue.
Besides the expected glitz and glamour of the event, the main attraction of the night was the scheduled appearance of the international artiste, Ginuwine. Unfortunately, the deadly Ebola outbreak prevented him from flying into the country for the show, to the disappointment of the expectant guests.

The show kicked off with the vibrant host and hostess of the night, Olowu Bardia Adebola better known as Ill Rhymz and Fade Ogunro announcing the arrival of the 20 finalists-10 males and 10 females on the runway. In an impressive display, the models struted the runway donning outfits made from nylon fabric. The female contestants rocked in their short flared gown with hair packed in a ponytail except for Ijeoma who rocked a low-cropped hair-cut. The male contestants nonetheless looked dapper in their loose top and shorts. With a hint of creativity, the models performed choreography on stage, adding vibrancy to their presentation.

This was preceded by a music performance by Ruby Gyang. Her first song did not quite hit home. But the second song which she dedicated to “all the good” was warmly received as it gave her the privilege to show her ability as a vocal powerhouse.
For the 20 contestants on parade at the event, it was a battle of the sexiest to win the grand prize of $5,000, a two-year contract with Beth Model, be the face of Aquafina, get a N100,000 worth of jewellery from Pandora  and a chance to represent Nigeria at the World’s Elite Model Look and win the grand prize of $150,000.

Rexy, Bolu, Elisabeth, Egwunor, Danielle, Marios, Wemimo, Ijeoma, Ene, Richard, Phillip, Natasha, Henry, Mayowa, Damian, Onyinye, Benny, Adesola, Ibrahim and Victor delivered their best to win the highest nod of approvals from the panel of judges.  From their gait to their body shape, their weeks of thorough drilling in the boot camp was put to test.  The judges were ex-beauty queen Agbani Darego; CEO of Glam Networks,  Bola Balogun; renowned photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi; Taofeek Okoya,founder of the Sacred Creative Makeup Artistry,  Lola Maja-Okojevoh; Shakeel Akram and  Declan Eytan of Elite Italia.
Sponsored by Aquafina, the seventh edition of the Elite Model Look Nigeria is the most renowned international modelling contest that attracts more than 350,000 participants every year, from 800 cities, 70 countries and five continents. It is unique in providing the opportunity for young girls to enter the fashion world, become models and make fabulous careers.

For the grand finale, the contestants displayed the outfits of 10 designers, (five for each gender)
Starting with the female contestants, the runway was transformed to a path of colours as they flaunted their modeling skills in the Belois Couture clothes. This was followed by a creative print on different fabrics designed by Yutee. This transition elicited nods from the guests who admired the beautiful array of lace, chiffon and organza on the runway.

Sanusi Lagos  presented the male models with a cool and urban look with its casuals and hippy trend. White jackets, baseball caps, safari tops all added to the beautiful blend of fashion.  Other designers that were featured at the event were Grey Designers, Tzar, Iconic Invanity, Sisiano and Mimi Lee London. While the Okunoren Twins and Tayor Gabriels stood out for their trade mark suits, Andrea Iyanma  drew a lot of applause for adorning the models with swim suits.

Everyone was cheering immediately the female models graced the runway with their sexy swim wears, funky beach shades and scarf. Scream and cheer rent the air. The flash from cameras was blinding as guests took pictures of the models.

If the female contestants got the male guests drooling, the male contestants left the female guests fanning themselves as they waltzed into the runway with their well-toned and chiselled body. From briefs to mere pants, the gorgeous studs gave the audience more than they bargained for. To add more sexiness to their display, one of the male contestants dripped water on his chest while another threw a balloon in the crowd.
With such blatant and brazen gestures, imagine the wild thoughts of the females in the audience. Perhaps, the men in the audience were intimidated by the young sexy and masculine bodies on the runway. More of the cheers for the male models seemed to come from the women.

Another designer who received nods from the audience was Tayor Gabriels who styled the male models in different suits. To round off the show, the Okunoren Twins brought out the creativity in the models with their iconic suite  and casual pieces. This saw the models dramatising the stylish lifestyle of successful businessmen. A hi-five here, a clink of glass there, a hello here and a wink to a pretty lady there. The camaraderie they created on stage was infectious.
Agbani Darego also featured her pieces in the runway. The outfits were a blend of the sophisticated urban look and the uptown-girl sassy look; summer dresses, handbags were all in the mix.

Speaking to the media, the Managing Director of Seven Up Bottling Company, Mr. Sunil Sawhney, said: This is the second year that Aquafina is getting associated with Elite Model Look Nigeria because we believe that beauty comes from within. If you are talking of real beauty it is from within and what better table water product than Aquafina, to be the premium table water brand which talks of purity guaranteed and therein lies Aquafina.

The female winner, Mayowa, shedding tears of joy said: “This is the happiest moment of my life, I feel so great. The journey to winning this contest was very challenging but it was fun because I learnt a lot; how to smile, pose but when I heard my name I didn’t believe it at first. I thank Aquafina for this opportunity, believe me, you don’t know what winning the Aquafina Elite Model Look Nigeria contest means to me.”

Mayowa’s male counterpart, Victor Ndigwe, commended Aquafina for giving him a new story in life: “Take it from me, Aquafina is purity guaranteed and the brand together with Elite Model Look proved that true beauty is indeed from within. It wasn’t easy, from thousands to 20 contestants, I couldn’t hold back my tears even as a man because the joy was too great to suppress”
The Elite Model Look show  suffered a few glitch here and there. It was evident that Ginuwine was not the only artiste who didn’t turn up for the event. Banky W who was billed to perform at the night was nowhere to be found and no explanation was offered.

For a fashion show which spells nothing less than panache, one would have expected performances from the big wigs of the  music industry  but the reverse was the case.  Prominent artistes who graced the event were Praiz, Chidinma, and Yemi Alade. Of all, Yemi Alade who performed towards the end of the show stole the night with her feisty performance. No doubt, Yemi is an electrifying performer who never fails to wow her audience with her scintillating dance moves. Another surprise performer was the Robotman who presented a novel spectacle to the delight of the crowd.
When Moet and Chandon, another sponsor of the event, announced that they will be rewarding the most dressed guests at the event with their style award, one expected that the fashionistas will be unknown faces. Instead known faces like popular actress Genevieve Nnaji, Nkiru Anumudu, Toyin Lawani were called to the stage for the award. These celebrities were selected by the Moet and Chandon brand manager. However, her co-presenter of the award Declan at least did justice to the award by selecting an unknown face who turned out to be an emerging fashion designer by the name Telvin.

Polo Avenue another sponsor of the event also showcased some of its iconic fashion pieces on the runway.
As the moment of victory drew near, the tension in the hall increased. Everyone looked expectantly when the top five finalists were called in each category. For many parents in the hall, having their child as a finalist was synonymous to winning the contest.
The 2013 female winner of the fashion contest Nneoma Anosike announced the top five female finalists who were Mayowa, Rexy, Adesola, Onyinye and Ene. While Agbani Darego and Kelechi Amadi announced the top five male finalists. Victor,  Ibrahim, Marios, Bolu and Henry all scaled through to the final round. Interestingly, a wrong guy came out when Bolu was called, causing an uproar in the crowd. Marios already felt like a winner. He could not hide his smiles knowing that he was just an inch nearer to stardom.

However, the heartbeat of victory could only belong to Ndigwe Victor and Nicholas Mayowa as they emerged the winner of the Aquafina Elite Model look for the night. It was all tears, hugs and shouts of joy with prayers to the heavens for the two winners as their family, friends and loved ones joined them on stage.