KINGSTON’S hottest new spot, Studio 38, is expected to come alive this Saturday with budding new hopefuls in Pulse’s Caribbean Model Search. The second in a four series presentation show, will feature contestants in the agency’s flagship modelling event making appearances in swimwear.

Over 40 of the finalists lit up the runway at Studio 38 in the first show held on July 18. The new faces looked polished and confident despite making their first appearance in front of a live audience. They strutted and posed in swimwear by The Mushroom and elicited a rousing response from the enthusiastic patrons. The contestants will be vying for the Jamaica Fashion Model, Male Face of Jamaica, Petite Jamaica Fashion Model and Full Figured Fashion Model titles, at the live finals to be held on September 5, which will feature R&B recording star Shontelle.

Since its inception in 1982, the Pulse Caribbean Model Search has given rise to some of the most accomplished faces and figures in the global fashion and modelling industry. The talent this year will be following in the footsteps of Model Search alumni Jaunel McKenzie, rated among the best in the world having been declared the most successful model of colour a couple years ago; Lois Samuels, the first Caribbean model to grace the prestigious Vogue cover; Nadine Willis, the first woman of colour to spearhead a Gucci campaign; Carla Campbell, the first Caribbean model to sizzle on the pages of the Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue; Nell Robinson the region’s first ARENA cover girl; Oraine Barrett, Ralph Lauren Polo campaign star and several others before them including Kimberley Mais and Althea Laing who made unprecedented strides in the history of fashion for the Caribbean.

The search also boasts more recent alumni who are currently the two hottest new stars on the global fashion scene in Jeneil Williams and Sedene Blake, who, like their counterparts Nadine Willis and Jaunel McKenzie, are once again heralding a new ascendancy of black models in the industry. Sedene, who started her international career last November, lived up to Vogue’s Style.com prediction that she was one of three girls to watch at the collections in New York, London, Paris and Milan earlier this year. The young star scored 40 shows in New York alone. Williams herself was not far behind, and the two amassed a record breaking 80-plus shows presenting for some of the most important designers at the collections, including Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Catherine Malandrino, Marc Jacobs, Custo Barcelona, Narciso Rodriguez, Nicole Miller, Tommy Hilfiger, and Louis Vuitton.

The bi-weekly presentations of the 2010 Model Search finalists at Studio 38 will lead up to the final show scheduled to take place at the Wyndham on Sunday, September 5 at 7:30 pm.