Only three agencies in the world — Elite (Elite Model Look), Metropolitan (Metropolitan Top Model), and Ford Models (Ford Models Supermodel of the World) — hold their own competitions of models. And, although our girls have never won the ceremonious Miss World or Miss Universe, there is something to be proud of. Ukrainian professional models Diana Kovalchuk and Liuba Dudinkina have already won the Elite and Metropolitan competitions, respectively, while on January 20, 2004, Natalia Hotsiy, model of the Kyiv-based Karin MMG agency (which won the bid to hold the contest), won what may be called "the grand slam of model contests" by beating forty competitors in the Ford Models Supermodel of the World finals.
This competition is over twenty years old. First held in 1980 at Monte Carlo, it was called Face of the Eighties for several years. Always in the highlight of international media, the competition held its finals in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and other major cities. The contest had been conceived as a place to look for new talented models. In the 1990s this search turned into a mega-competition under the now customary title. The qualifying rounds, or national finals, are held in more than 50 countries, and literally thousands of competitors dream of finding their way into the main finals. However, the competing girls face some specific model-business requirements. They should be 175 to 180 centimeters tall, have had an at least two year catwalk career, and be ready to travel all over the world in case they win. To be more exact, the last item is a strict requirement in theory only, for winners never refuse to go places. The more so that, under contract with Ford, the largest of these contests, the winner is entitled to receive $250,000 as prize money. Those who place second and third are valued at $125,000 and $100,000. Money is not the only incentive for the winners though. Embracing all aspects of a model's career, from advertising to theater and movie projects, Ford Models has "made" such worldwide-known stars as Naomi Campbell, Sharon Stone, Brook Shields, and many others.
According to Karin MMG president Vlada Lytovchenko, when they were sending the 19-year-old Kyiv girl to the New York finals, they believed she would win "because Natalka is a really promising, hardworking, and trustworthy girl." The future Ukrainian Sharon Stone is a third-year finance student. In 2000 she won at the Miss Net Ukraine contest. She also has some filming experience (the short Christine and Denis: Monument to a Potter ) and goes in for psychology. Natalka says she did her best to come off first, although she did not expect to win. When she heard her name announced and understood that he had won, she, of course, burst into tears of happiness. She was also glad to realize that her dream of working with the world's most famous couturiers was now going to come true. A twenty-minute promotion clip starring Natalka was shot for the Pantine Pro-V Company immediately after her victory. That was only the beginning: the Ukrainian girl was then in for ten castings for a Vogue filming and Calvin Klein, Ralf Lauren, and other shows. In the immediate future the top model is to parade the catwalks of Milan, wearing the latest designs of Mu Mu and Prada.
