It’s just a few days before the highly anticipated Dominica’s Next Supermodel (DNSM) competition and organizers are expressing disappointment due to the lack of sufficient sponsorship. This was according to the brains behind DNSM, Ruth Augustine during a live interview on State-Owned Radio DBS on Wednesday.
The competition is scheduled for May 27 at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium from 8:00 p.m. Fifteen (15) models will compete in this year’s competition, nine females and six males.
“One of the challenges we have been facing with the production itself is that we need sponsors to partner with Dominica’s Next Supermodel,” she said. “I am quite disappointed because I know for a fact that what is being done and how we have influenced and impacted young lives that we have grown so much as a family and they are looking forward to executing on real stage, live performance.”
She continued, “For the competition, we have not secured any financial monetary sponsorship to assist with our expenses and I will be honest, I work with a team who is so committed and have devoted themselves in the training, getting all the girls and the males prepared for the fashion show, but in regards to putting together the entire production it’s a lot that comes with putting on and executing a great and phenomenal event for Saturday.”
Augustine added, “We have stage, we have lights, we have sounds, we have DJs, we have our judges, we have so many things to look at in regards to logistics and we are just requesting our business partners, private sectors, the government sectors to come on board and partner with Dominica’s Next Super Models and to help build and create opportunities for the future generation, our aspiring models and everybody who have been given the opportunity in this fashion event production.”
She disclosed that judges are coming in from overseas this week to be a part of the fashion show.
Augustine said this is an opportunity that is given to the model and they have developed and grown in confidence, “they have shown the creative sides because they are creating their own designs, and they have worked with local designers.”
Augustine called on the support of the Dominican public to come on board to support the event.
“I have been receiving a lot of calls, can I get complimentary tickets? And I am saying to myself how are we going to cover our expenses if we just give away the show?” she asked.
She describes the competition as a Dominica product, “Because when you identify any one of the models they are Dominicans.”
“So at the end of the day when any model becomes a supermodel or a superstar it all goes to this product from the Nature Island of the World, Dominica,” Augustine stated.
She said two winners will be selected on the night of the show.
“Two will become Dominica’s next supermodel and Dominica’s next male model,” she said.
On the night of May 27, 2023, the female winner will walk away with a $10,000.00 cash prize whilst the DNSM male winner will secure a $5,000.00 cash prize. The females will be judged in four categories namely, a tassel segment, a Queen Elizabeth round, a metallic beachwear will be the third segment and the final leg of the competition will be feathery and fluffy high fashion.
The male models on the other hand will be judged in the casual wear segment, Afrocentric wear, beachwear, and high fashion men’s suits.
The show, which was first launched in 2013 and won by Lynah Bontiff of Calibishie has been said to propel the careers of aspiring models over the years. In 2014 Alisa Labassiere from Good Hope won the competition and subsequently obtained a ten-year United States of America (USA) visa and walked at Caribbean New York Fashion Week in September 2014. The following year, in 2015, Carlyn Valmond emerged as the winner of DNSM followed by Alisha Florent in 2019.
Why would anybody “sponsor” yet another show of utter mediocrity? Go ask Gucci she loves this kind of nonsense.
Careful..this maybe a human trafficing scheme. Lots of thess fake modles pagents offering young people fake oppertunities.when really its to sell them to sex trafficers. At your own risk youngsters.
If they can prove they has a winner for a fake pagent..the autherites will not be suspicious of their fake travels with minors and youngster. Be careful.
Dominicans invented a new word for begging: “sponsor me”. They all want next to be the next super model but none of them has a “pot to pee in”. What on earth has become of my country since this despot took the reins?
MY question is when have we had our FIRST supermodel?
Why does the female winner get double as the male?
In truth, female models usually get paid higher than male models. Hardly ever will you have a male model outshine a female. the last male who got more notoriety than female models that i knew of was Tyson Beckford, and that was in the 90’s when he modeled for Ralph Lauren.
This lady who is organizing this event is of the mistaken belief that everyone should be as excited about her pet project as she is.
Businesses expect a return on investment when they sponsor an event or person.
Frankly, I hardly see any benefit a business can derive from sponsoring a contestant for this event.
finally .. You got that off your chest. I bet you feel better saying that eh . Now go back on your bycard and be useless ..