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Jamaicans continue to lead in Caribbean modelling industry

THREE top Caribbean models from Jamaica’s Pulse Model Agency will be featured at the Caribbean Fashion Rocks (CFR).

CFR is New York's signature runway for island designers and models and will take place on Sunday (Apr. 25) with the inclusion of Jaunel McKenzie, Carla Campbell, and Oraine Barrett.

The third annual staging will be held at LQ New York in New York City and the event has provided a unique platform for Caribbean designers and models to penetrate New York's renowned fashion industry, according to Tropicalfete.com.

For the 2010 staging, the event will focus on the region's burgeoning modelling industry, and will honour Kingsley Cooper, the CEO of Pulse, for his pioneering role in developing an international modelling industry in the Caribbean and producing the fashion industry's groundbreaking Caribbean supermodels.

Oraine Barrett

Pulse Model Agency hosts two major fashion events in Jamaica each year, which are the high-end Caribbean Fashion Week and Caribbean Model Search with the latter being a televised event similar to Tyra Bank’s America’s Next Top Model.

“When most people think of fashion capitals, they think Paris, Milan or New York City - not the Caribbean,” said Robert Clarke, CEO of Irie Jam Media Group, producers of Caribbean Fashion Rocks!

Irie Jam Media Group is said to be New York's leading outlet for everything Caribbean.

“The Caribbean region has produced some of the world's greatest supermodels - Jaunel, Carla, Oraine, Tyson - even Naomi Campbell has Caribbean roots. It is an honour to have Jaunel, Carla, and Oraine walk the Fashion Rocks runway and an honor to recognise Kingsley Cooper and Pulse. They represent the best of the best in the Caribbean fashion industry and demonstrate how influential our industry is globally,” he said.

Jaunel McKenzie

Jaunel McKenzie is the first Caribbean-born model in history to be ranked the number one black model in the world by Models.com. The Jamaican-born model was discovered by Pulse at the age of 16 during their very first Caribbean Model Search in 2002. McKenzie has built an enviable portfolio, with multiple spreads in Vogue - 11 for American Vogue and one each for the German, French, and Italian editions. She has also done spreads for Elle, W, Vibe, Allure, and Victoria Secret. She has starred in campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, and Addidas, and has walked the runway for top designers including Kenneth Cole, Catherine Malandrino, Derek Lam, Heatherette, Gucci, Dolce & Gabana, Louis Vuitton, and Stella McCartney.

Carla Campbell

In 2006, Pulse model Carla Campbell was featured in the highly coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, becoming the very first Caribbean-born model and one of a select handful of black models to grace its pages. Also hailing from Jamaica, Campbell is the second Caribbean model to hit the pages of Victoria Secret. She has done editorials in Essence, French Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Maxim, and has been featured on the cover of Esquire Magazine. L'oreal, Nike, Avon, Eckored, and Footlocker are among her featured campaigns.

After escaping a brutal attack that left him seriously disfigured, Oraine Barrett has overcome hurdles and broken barriers to follow in the footsteps of iconic model Tyson Beckford, being the second Jamaican model to star in a high-profile campaign for timeless American brand Polo by Ralph Lauren. Barrett has also been featured in campaigns by Abercrombie & Fitch, John Bartlett, Phat Farm, Liz Claiborne, and Pepe Jeans, and has done editorials for Sports and Style Magazine and Japanese Vogue.

McKenzie, Campbell, and Barrett will be joining some of New York's prominent and upcoming models on the CFR runway this wearing designs from local fashion lines including Michael Gillings, Jewel Shannon, Kay Dane, Rep JA, and Royal Rush.

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