Rajae Shirley, a 25-year-old resident from the hilly community of Thompson Town in Clarendon, and 17-year-old Ascot High School sixth-form student Talleta Gregory of Portmore were last Saturday night chosen as Fashion Face of the Caribbean Male and Fashion Face of the Caribbean Female, respectively, in the Saint International Fashion Face of the Caribbean competition.

The finals of the competition, which saw 45 females and 38 males competing for the titles, took place inside the ballroom of the AC Hotel in New Kingston.

During the event, nine designers showcased 10 collections in the segment dubbed ‘Riddim Runway Fashion Collections’ and which was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

Designers included UK-based Jamaican designer David Newell, Kaydian Nicely, Janseen Graham, Lucien Harrison, Tamia Carey, Errice Alicia, Nina Levy, Shades of Africa, and Andre Shirley.

The judging panel tasked with selecting the winners consisted of some of the world’s most powerful agents. Corrie Caster – Elite World (Europe); Price Stephen – Soul Artist Management (New York); Agel Raya – No Smoking Period (New York, London, Milan, Paris); and Monika Kielczewska – The Society Models (New York).

And when it came down to the announcement of the winners, you could feel the tension in the air.

“I honestly did not expect to win, but I knew for sure that my presence in the competition would make an impact because of my confidence. Everyone else had time to prepare their outfits, while my clothes were actually purchased by my wife on the same day of the event,” Rajae told the
Jamaica Observer post-event.

Rajae, who said he felt unprepared, had decided to withdraw from the competition due to financial and personal challenges.

“I felt a bit unprepared and out of place. So coming back on the day of the competition after the Saint coordinator called and told me that Mr Peters requested my presence, I decided to show up, be myself, and give it my best,” he shared.

He recalled that when his name was announced as the winner, it made him reflect on events leading up to the finals.

“My mind immediately went back to what Mr Peters had said to me that very same morning. For about three mandatory sessions leading up to the event, I was not present because my daughter had gotten sick and was in the hospital. At that point, I had decided to withdraw from the competition because of the personal difficulties I was facing, and I was still without a sponsor. Then, on the very same day of the event, they had secured a sponsor. I came to Kingston for prejudging, and when I arrived, he told me very firmly that I must never give up on myself and that he believed in me. He said I should give it my best shot because this could be a life-changing moment for me and my family. So when my name was called, all of those words came back to me. I couldn’t help but think about everything that had happened just to get me there. It was a very emotional and unforgettable moment for me,” he said.

Rajae said that it was his wife who encouraged him to enter the competition.

“We were at home one evening and she said, “They like you.” I asked her, “Who?” and she told me it was the agent from Saint International. She went ahead and submitted my picture to their
Instagram post where they were searching for new faces. She knew that modelling had always been a dream of mine, and she wanted to see me finally bring that dream to reality. I decided to take the chance and see where it could lead me,” said Rajae, who described the experience as transformative.

“It challenged me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I had to learn how to take directions, work with the other contestants, and remain composed under pressure. The training sessions were very intense, and I learnt a whole lot. The experience also gave me the opportunity to meet some very talented people and learn more about the fashion industry. Most importantly, it showed me that I am capable of much more than I initially thought, and that sometimes you just have to step out of your comfort zone and give yourself a chance.”

Talleta described being named as the winner of Fashion Face of the Caribbean Female as surreal.

“Honestly, it feels surreal. I was surprised that I won, so hearing my name announced as the Fashion Face of the Caribbean Female was definitely a ‘wait…did they just call my name?’ moment. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and proud of myself, especially because I entered mainly to enjoy the experience, meet new people, and grow as a model. Winning was just the beautiful surprise at the end,” she shared.

“When I heard my name announced, I immediately started crying! I was honestly shocked because I really didn’t expect to win. Earlier, I had been chosen as the winner for the Blue Denim Remix Challenge [for all the Fashion Face of the Caribbean competitors] so I thought that would probably be my only big moment for the night. My family and friends had been telling me that they believed I could win, which gave me some confidence, but I still wasn’t expecting it. It was a tough competition, many amazing people; I went into the competition mainly for the experience, to have fun, meet new people and grow as a model.”

Talleta explained her decision to enter the competition.

“I’ve always loved art and fashion, and modelling is something I’m genuinely passionate about. When Saint discovered me at my school, Mr Peters told me that he believed I could be a star, but he did say it required a lot of work and discipline. So when I heard about Fashion Face of the Caribbean, it felt like an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I wanted to challenge myself, gain more experience, and step outside of my comfort zone. I definitely wasn’t going into it thinking I’m coming home with the crown. I was really just there to enjoy myself and see where the experience would take me. Every training session was different, I realised I was lucky to be with Saint,” she reasoned.

Deiwight Peters, founder, CEO of Saint International is pleased with the turn of events.

“I thought this year’s pool of talent was extraordinary. There were such diverse looks and interesting backgrounds. We had an Italian, Jamaicans, Cubans, British Jamaican, and a Jamaican American. But in terms of the different looks, very interesting. I am confident a number of them will be developed to become international stars using the tried and proven and unmatched Saint formula for making fashion stars. I am very excited to see what the future holds for these wonderful young people,” said Peters.