Sonia Noel will name Guyana’s Next Top Model in exactly one week and while it is still too early to pick a front-runner the competition it shaping up to be as jaw-dropping as last year.

Richard Young, the creative force behind Sonia Noel’s Glamorous, is impressed with the bunch he has groomed this year and he has seen some potential “drama” in a few of the hopefuls.

Catwalk Diva Meleesa Payne models a Sonia Noel design

The hotly-contested photo shoot for the model search wrapped up at Splashmin’s several days ago and is to be aired shortly. Richard said the shoot this year was interesting because it was pushed up to an earlier time allowing for a fresh daybreak setting.

“The models were up before sunrise and the cameras were ready to roll within a few minutes, it really was something special to watch,” he said.

Richard said the models this year seemed to have grasped the concept of the “complete runway package” better than the previous year, adding that they understood the importance of not simply walking on the runway and believing that “this was all”.

Designers and stylists had to incorporate environmental awareness and HIV/AIDS and domestic violence into their work. He said that the focus was not solely on designing but also demonstrating a responsibility to raise awareness on pertinent issues.

With respect to the stylists, he said, they were drafted in because the role of stylists had been underplayed in the past. He explained that the stylists are make-up those persons who understand how to use clothes to reach an audience.

“While the designer creates the outfit the stylist is the one who sells it, and I was impressed with how the stylists in this competition understood the roles they play,” Richard added.

He said what Sonia Noel is doing by putting on the show every year is rearing a new crop of models to enter an industry that he acknowledged is difficult to survive in here. But, he noted the competition instills in models the notion of creating a niche in the field. According to him, the avenue is there for models to think “outside of the catwalk” and branch out to marketing products.

He said this was the same message that was shared with the designers. Richard said designing for the catwalk is important, but it is also practical to think of designing for companies even if it is producing a batch of jumpsuits.

Richard said the final, which is to be held on July 12 at Princess Buddy’s Hotel, is shaping up to be quite an event. Since the model search and the designer and stylist competitions have been merged for the final show Richard said the public will have “quite a fill”.

He also mentioned that auditions for Guyana Fashion Weekend noted are slated for July 5 and 6 at the Hotel Tower.

The auditions begin at 2 pm each day.