Fierce New Fashion
Competition
by Susan Hornik
Are you stunning, 5’10” and want to be a supermodel?! Well, now you just might have a chance if Oxygen’s new competition series, “The Face” does well this season! Iconic supermodel Naomi Campbell is joined by former Victoria’s Secret Angel Karolina Kurkova and supermodel/Irish-dance enthusiast Coco Rocha, who all coach on the seven episode show, debuting Feb 12 at 9pm on Oxygen. The show will be hosted by former America’s Top Model judge and photographer Nigel Barker.
Mentoring was a very attractive idea for Campbell, who is also executive producing the show. “I’ve been working for 26 years,” she explained, “and I felt like I do have something that I can share from that with all the experience I have under my belt. So to work with these young, hopeful supermodels who want to be in our business today was really exciting for me.”
The grand prize winner gets to be the new face of the ULTA BEAUTY brand, and the ultimate grand prize of becoming a spokesperson and ambassador for the brand’s Fall and Holiday 2013 national ad campaigns. Each hopeful has the opportunity to make a life changing transformation through unprecedented access to brands, and by being mentored by veteran fashion photographer, Patrick Demarchelier.
A British-born beauty, Campbell will be giving them as much advice as she can. “I advise them where they may need it, but they don’t have to do what we tell them or suggest; they can take it or leave it. I support them as a team and as individuals, where I praise and encourage them. I tell them things they don’t want to hear, but that’s what’s out there in the real world and there’s no point in sugar coating it for them. They need to authentically hear what it’s going to be like when they get out there.”
Of her own success, Campbell says, “I’m driven. I’m passionate about what I do, and when I do it I commit to it 110%. I always want to do the best that I can. I accepted the show, to be here and do it, and I take my role as executive producer really seriously. Even when the camera shuts down, it didn't mean I've stopped working. I’m on the phone calling people that I’d known in the business for all these years, asking for them to lend their support and come on the show, and not one person said no. And it meant a lot to me because like, for example with Patrick, I’ve been working with him since I was 16, and these are the people that taught me how to pose. They molded me, they educated me, they showed me how and I want to share that with these girls. I really want to keep this show at a level that is very high and I think we’ve got to achieve that, and it was such a great final finale prize.”
Campbell claims she is shocked by how much the modeling industry has changed. “Coming from the ’90s, we basically just had to learn as we went along, and of course, I would ask Iman or other models who were around me to show me how to do things. But I think things have changed, and now I think a show like this is absolutely needed.”
She added, “It moves so quickly, it just moves so fast nowadays. There’s no time to wait to be inspired. Just go with it. I feel sorry for designers because the turn around is unbelievably quick.”
While The Face may immediately have you think about America’s Top Model, Barker has had a lot of fun transitioning from the role as judge to host.”
“Constantly judging is a difficult task to do, but obviously we all did it,” Barker said. “You walk into a room as a photographer and you’re doing a casting, and you can’t help but judge to some extent, who you are/aren’t going to want to book. For me, the 20 years of experience I’ve had in this business, to be able to impart that as a sort of negotiator on the show, as the host, as sometimes a referee between the contestants, that was refreshing for me. It was a different take, and working with these amazing ladies who have got this extraordinary wealth of information was amazing as well.”
Barker feels that this show is very different from anything that’s ever been out there in this genre. “Even though I’ve been on other shows, the reason why I wanted to do this is because it’s completely new. This is the real world of modeling with three of the biggest names in the business, and you really get an inside look at exactly how they operate and why they are supermodels. It’s a unique take that you’ve just never seen before. For me, it hops back to the heart and soul of reality TV from the ’90s when it first started, and it’s just a refreshing take, authentic and believable, like you’ve never seen before.”
Coach Rocha doesn’t feel that this gig is that much different than being a model. “The only difference is that you have eleven cameras on you. I mean, we’re already in the spotlight in a sense, whatever we do people watch. For example, what we say, what we eat, what we wear, so the only difference is now we have so many cameras all the time with us. I don’t see it as being any different. I make sure that what I say is what I would say normally, because I’m not playing a character. I’m being myself so it actually wasn’t that uncomfortable. The most uncomfortable part is probably this, the talking about the show, telling people to watch the show. This isn’t usually what we’re…our forte, so this is the part where I’m learning!”
Rocha is excited for the competition to debut so that the fashion industry can be a bit more demystified.
“We’re talking about an industry that is so quiet, that you don’t know much about it,” Rocha explained. “It’s such an interesting learning experience for the audience. Here we are, three models trying to show the world ‘this is how I work and how I’m successful. I’m ready to show you.’ So I think people will be fascinated. They’re going to want more. And these girls are opening up to Naomi which is so exciting.”
Coach Kurkova has already had some experience with television. “I’ve done a lot of guest appearances, and actually did a show myself that was very similar to The Face. I was a coach and it was produced in Germany last year. With both shows, I loved it-- anything that’s creative is amazing! And I love working with these young girls and inspiring them and being a role model. It was truly incredible to help them with their confidence, personality, whatever they needed.”
Kurkova herself could have used a mentor when she was first starting. “I was very shy and insecure. I was always the tallest girl, always slouchy so I didn’t stand out so much. I never wore skirts because I had long skinny legs. I didn’t smile so much. The people from the industry were telling me, ‘wow you have beautiful teeth, you should smile. You have gorgeous legs, wear a skirt.’
“These sorts of things you think are maybe silly and superficial, but for a young girl, who is growing up in a small town and stands out and is not really comfortable in her own skin. To be encouranged from the industry, it meant a lot. It really changed my life. I was like, ‘oh really?!’ I stood up more straight, I became less afraid and I learned how to appreciate what I had and how to work with it. Now they are like my two favorite things, my smile and my long legs!”
The Face debuts Feb 12, 2013 at 9et/pt on Oxygen
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