Do you have what it takes to be America’s Next Top Model?
A few girls in Louisiana thought they did.
The CW television network affiliate in Lafayette, KLWB, held auditions Saturday to send a winner to a regional competition in hopes of having a local on the hit reality television show hosted by Tyra Banks. The show also held auditions in Shreveport and Baton Rouge.
Twenty-seven girls showed up in hopes of winning a chance at fame.
Kate Schneider, director of marketing and promotions for KLWB, said she hopes the winner of Saturday’s competition will see success in the competition.
“Given the success we had with Megan [Dupre] and the ‘Search for the Next Pussycat Doll,’ we have have high hopes for our ‘Top Model’ candidate to represent us,” Schneider said.
The audition consisted of a runway walk and a question-and-answer session. All 27 girls walked the runway, but only the top 10 made it to the question-and-answer round.
Five judges scored the girls on facial features, body, personality, runway ability and the “it” factor. Of those five factors, personality and the “it” factor were the things that mattered the most to the judges.
“Look for personality, because Tyra doesn’t play,” Schneider told judges before the competition began.
The girls walked the runway to songs like “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz and “Don’t Cha” by the Pussycat Dolls and tried their hardest to impress the judges.
Some girls effortlessly glided down the runway, winking at the judges while striking a pose.
Others had a little more trouble, having difficulty turning to head in the next direction and struggling not to sing along to the music.
The judges looked for everything, from ease on the runway to body flaws such as cellulite and varicose veins.
Yvette Naquin, graphic designer and model with 26 years of experience, served as a judge and said runway ability is not something most girls start out with, but it is something that can be learned.
“You can train runway,” Naquin said. “That is something that Tyra teaches on the show.”
After the first round of runway, the judges retired to the V.I.P. room to deliberate. They were searching for girls that not only had a pretty face but also had that elusive “it” factor – a quality none of the judges could define.
“If you watch a Victoria’s Secret fashion show, when Gisele [Bündchen] walks out, she commands attention,” Naquin said. “She’s just got ‘it.’ They have to have ‘it.’ You either have ‘it,’ or you don’t.”
The question-and-answer round was a test of the girls’ personality. Many girls that were favorites in the first round faltered in the question-and-answer round, either because they were not well-spoken or because their answers did not make sense, according to the judges.
The girls were asked about their personal style, their competitive nature and what they would bring to the show, among other things.
The judges agreed that it would do a lot for the area to have a local representative on “America’s Next Top Model.”
“You see people from Los Angeles, you see people from New York, you see people from everywhere else,” said Dee Weber, owner of Elegance Plus bridals in Lafayette. “For Lafayette to gain national recognition and having people come out of here, that says a lot for our area.”
After about 20 minutes of deliberation, the judges decided on Sydney Melancon, biology freshman at University of Louisiana at Lafayette, as the winner.
Melancon said she was inspired to enter the competition after being rejected by another local modeling agency.
“I said, ‘I’m going to give this one more shot,'” Melancon said. “And I’m here.”
Melancon said she has modeled before, but she has not had any major contracts.
“I’ve been off-and-on modeling for maybe three or four years,” Melancon said. “I’ve done maybe about four catwalk shows. I’ve done a few extras in some little movies, but that’s about all the play I’ve gotten.”
One of the reasons the judges chose Melancon was because of her bubbly personality. Many said they could see her on the show.
Melancon said she would be proud to represent the South on the show.
“I’d bring realness from Louisiana, a down-South hospitality,” she said. “Since I’ve started watching, I’ve never seen anyone from Louisiana. I’ve seen one person from Mississippi, but that’s about it. We have to represent the South.”
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Contact Sarah Aycock at [email protected]