Saint International crowns male and female Fashion Face of the Caribbean winners

Rajae Shirley, a 25-year-old resident from the hilly community of Thompson Town in Clarendon, and 17-year-old Ascot High School sixth-form student Talleta Gregory of Portmore were last Saturday night chosen as Fashion Face of the Caribbean Male and Fashion Face of the Caribbean Female, respectively, in the Saint International Fashion Face of the Caribbean competition. The finals of the competition, which saw 45 females and 38 males competing for the titles, took place inside the ballroom of the AC Hotel in New Kingston. During the event, nine designers showcased 10 collections in the segment dubbed ‘Riddim Runway Fashion Collections’ and which was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

Designers included UK-based Jamaican designer David Newell, Kaydian Nicely, Janseen Graham, Lucien Harrison, Tamia Carey, Errice Alicia, Nina Levy, Shades of Africa, and Andre Shirley. The judging panel tasked with selecting the winners consisted of some of the world’s most powerful agents. Corrie Caster – Elite World (Europe); Price Stephen – Soul Artist Management (New York); Agel Raya – No Smoking Period (New York, London, Milan, Paris); and Monika Kielczewska – The Society Models (New York).

And when it came down to the announcement of the winners, you could feel the tension in the air. “I honestly did not expect to win, but I knew for sure that my presence in the competition would make an impact because of my confidence. Everyone else had time to prepare their outfits, while my clothes were actually purchased by my wife on the same day of the event,” Rajae told the Jamaica Observer post-event.

Rajae, who said he felt unprepared, had decided to withdraw from the competition due to financial and personal challenges. “I felt a bit unprepared and out of place. So coming back on the day of the competition after the Saint coordinator called and told me that Mr Peters requested my presence, I decided to show up, be myself, and give it my best,” he shared.

He recalled that when his name was announced as the winner, it made him reflect on events leading up to the finals. “My mind immediately went back to what Mr Peters had said to me that very same morning. For about three mandatory sessions leading up to the event, I was not present because my daughter had gotten sick and was in the hospital.

At that point, I had decided to withdraw from the compe…