FOLLOWING the unveiling of its new consumer brand in Barbados, C&W and Wendy Fitzwilliam, Miss Universe 1998, have announced a mutually beneficial partnership with the ‘new’ Flow to air the second season of the reality show ‘Caribbean’s Next Top Model.’
“We’re absolutely excited to be working with Flow to bring Caribbean’s Next Top Model back for a second season. We are resolute in our desire to showcase brand Caribbean and this partnership makes it possible to build on our first season and bring the show back to our fans in a much more interactive way,” said Fitzwilliam at the launch.
The regionally based reality show is tied to the successful original production – America’s Next Top Model – owned by CBS International and created by former top model and television producer Tyra Banks and follows the stories of young women seeking to launch a career in the competitive world of modelling.
Fitzwilliam stated: “We know that there are many young women in the Caribbean who have big dreams of success in fashion. The fashion and beauty industries have been impacted by the talent of women with Caribbean roots for quite some time, from history makers such as Grace Jones and Naomi Campbell to relative newcomers such as Barbadian model Lene Hall, the face of Prescriptives by Esteé Lauder and Puerto Rican supermodel Joan Smalls.
She added: “CNTM provides an additional opportunity for more Caribbean women to be represented within the international fashion industry. The success of this show will impact more than individuals and models it will also highlight the Caribbean fashion and beauty industries, content development in the Caribbean and more.”
John Reid, President of the C&W Consumer Group noted that the partnership was a perfect fit for Flow, now positioned as a Caribbean brand “driven by all that is positive in the Caribbean, the people, the passion, the drive to succeed, innovation and positive vibes.” He noted that Flow will also use its quad play technology to ensure that viewers have access across multiple channels so that they can access the programme when they want and how they want.
“Flow customers,” he explained, “will be able to access Caribbean Next Top Model before other viewers on Flow TV, via the Flow on Demand platform at their convenience. They can even access information about the programme on their smart phones and other mobile devices.”
Caribbean’s Next Top Model is produced by Fitzwilliam and her sister Dionyse Fitzwilliam, who is the show’s Executive Producer. Casting calls for the second season are currently being held in Barbados, Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The casting calls are also being facilitated online to make it more accessible for potential participants throughout the region. The first show will be aired in October.