Celebrity Interview - Marbella's Next Top Model
Marbella's Next Top Model
I had been following the Miss Moda Marbella competition with much interest and I am pleased to say I placed the winners in the right order (my friend now owes me €50). So I was looking forward to meeting the personalities behind these beautiful faces.
AND THE WINNER IS... NATASHA FRANKEN
Natasha, 16, has an "All American Girl" look that wouldn't look out of place in a Victoria's Secret campaign. I think, with her mix of Dutch and Norwegian, it was pretty much a certainty that she would be blessed with model looks.
She joined Target Models three years ago and has since then done numerous jobs, from editorial for Shout magazine to adverts for Nestle. "I loved that shoot," she says with a grin. "I had to eat an ice-cream, but to make sure it looked fresh they gave me a new one every few minutes." Why don't I get jobs like that?
Natasha has already starred in many fashion shows, but she was still nervous for the Miss Moda Marbella competition. "Before I go on, I always get a bit nervous, but as soon as I get onto the stage, I am fine and love it; I don't want it to end."
Surprisingly she didn't think she would win and was sure it would be Chanelle. Her prizes included a trip to London, where she will meet with Targets Models London, while staying in the luxurious 54 Boutique hotel. She will also get a professional portfolio shoot to take to future castings, a guest host spot on Living in Spain TV, and makeup and catwalk classes.
"I'm really excited about going to London. Modelling is what I want to do; I feel alive in front of the camera. I adore every aspect of fashion, and if things don't work out I would like to become a fashion stylist."
In her spare time Natasha loves to shop, making La Cañada her second home. She takes the latest trends from the likes of Blanco, Topshop and H&M and makes them her own. In fact when I met her I thought she must have lived in London at some point, as she has that whole eclectic London style going on. Her best fashion find? "My Mum's shoes," she says, giggling.
I spoke to Janey, head booker at Target Models, about Natasha's future... "Natasha has a lovely young and fresh look, and a great attitude. We expect her to do very well in the future. We are sending her new portfolio pictures off to all our regular clients, and expect a great response. Target is doing very well at the moment, there is a lot of work coming up so there will be a lot of fantastic opportunities for Natasha."
With Target going from strength to strength since Janey took over as manager, including model workshops, a change of office and the possibility to franchise, Natasha's career will be in good hands.
Since the competition Natasha has already been booked for a shoot with young Spanish label Pepa Karnero, so it seems her dream of being like her idol Giselle is not that far out of reach.
RUNNER-UP... ARUNE UTOPAITE
Arune is every inch a model; she is from Lithuania and has been blessed with those gorgeous eastern European looks. At 23 she has already travelled the world through modelling and is pretty much a pro on the catwalk, but she tells me it's not all as glamorous as it seems. "There was this one show I had to do in Italy where the designer had created these really unusual designs. I couldn't tell where to put my arms, legs or even my head. I had a dresser to help me get into the outfit, but after the show I was left on my own to get back out of it. It was very difficult," she laughs. Arune loves the fact that Marbella is so cosmopolitan and she has friends of all nationalities. Next stop? Agencies in Barcelona and Madrid, of course.
SECOND RUNNER-UP... CHANELLE JONES
I was shocked to find out Chanelle is only 14; she looks and acts much older. She moved to Marbella three years ago and is nearly fluent in Spanish. She reminds me of a very young Mel B from the Spice Girls, with a bubbly personality and mounds of energy which she takes with her to the catwalk. "She walks like a gazelle," says Janey. "Similar to Linda Evangelista."
After numerous people commented on her looks Chanelle decided to give modelling a go and joined Target Models. A wise move as she has become a star of the catwalk. "I love it," she tells me. "It is my ambition to continue doing shows; I prefer it to editorial."
I ask her if it's as hard as it looks, and - laughing - she says, "I did a show at Nikki Beach where my foot got stuck in a hole at the bottom of the steps. Nobody seemed to notice but I couldn't believe it when I did the same thing five minutes later."
Chanelle has a good head on her shoulders and, as her modelling career takes off, I'm sure she will take it all in her gazelle-like stride.
