Aamito wins challenge, heads to New York

By Kalungi Kabuye

Uganda’s Stacey ‘Queen’ Aamito won the second to last challenge in the Africa’s Next Top Model TV reality show, and is headed to New York where the winner will be unveiled this Sunday.

Aamito has now won the last three challenges, and a total of four out of nine. Sunday’s challenge was a photo shoot underwater, and considering the three last girls standing said they were scared of water, it was the toughest so far.

They were supposed to show poise underwater while being shot by top underwater photographer Ilse Moore. They were told they had not only overcome their fear of water, but they would still be judged on their facial expressions, body manipulation, and how they presented the outfit they wore.

After the shoot, the judges (Oluchi, photographers Josie Borain and Remi Aditiba, and Elle SA editor Jackie Burger) sat down to judge not only the water shoot, but the entire portfolio since they started out nine weeks ago.

Opeyemi from Nigeria was said to have an outstanding face, but had problems when she had to work with her body. Oluchi said Angola’s Michaela at times acted like a beauty queen, not a model, and that nobody will always be there to push her into doing the right thing. Burger said there were flaws in her portfolio

When Oluchi asked if, overall, Aamito had what it takes to become a top high fashion model, all the judges agreed.

“Absolutely,” Burger said. “There is something incredibly powerful about her, whether it is her confidence or stature.”

Oluchi added that she is very graceful, while Aditiba said she had a regal presence about her, although he had doubts about her nerves. When Borain defended her, he agreed that Aamito was ‘amazing’, and could be the new Linda Evangelista, a Canadian model who  has been on the cover of more than 600 magazines and is aid to have coined the phrase  "We don't wake up for less than $10,000 a day."

At the end Aamito was declared the winner of the days challenge, and won a debit card with US1,000 for shopping. She will also feature in a fashion editorial in Elle SA magazine.

Although Oluchi had said one girl will be eliminated, she revealed at the end that all the top 3 will go to New York, where the winner will announced. She will get US$50,000 cash and a contract with DNA Model management.