EIGHTEEN finalists in this year’s Miss Jamaica World contest will be making their first public appearance at the Sovereign Centre in St Andrew today at 1:00 pm.

The occasion will see finalists parading in fashions from Loud Fashions and swimsuits by Mushroom. They will also be randomly assigned sponsors.

“It’ll be the first public viewing of the contestants and it’ll be free to the public. So the family can come on down, see the girls and pick their favourites,” Kandi King, pageant director of Miss Jamaica World, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“It’ll be a lottery, of sorts, as the sponsors will pick the names of their contestants from a hat. So it will be fair to the girls. It’ll be exciting,” she continued.

The finalists are Shantel Gardner, Kadejah Anderson, Brianne St Juste, Jaavonne Taylor, Latoya Tingle, Solange Sinclair, Amaya Lewis, Megan McNaughton, Rochelle Duncan, Sukanya Wilmot, Alana Pennant, Alyssa Boothe, Sasha Henry, Leah Hollingsworth, Jeneque Pinnock, Melissa Douglas, Deidre McKenzie, and Sashell McKenzie.

The sponsors include 876 Blue Mountain Spring Water, Maybelline Cosmetics, ORS HAIR CARE, Maxie’s Stores, Eyeland Eyewear, The Beauty Spot, Eexecutive Motors, and Mazda.

Crowning for the Miss Jamaica World 2017, presented by Spartan Health Club, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September, 23, 2017.

— Brian Bonitto