America’s Next Top Model: The Fashion Reality Show that Keeps Coming Back

Images courtesy of fashionmodeldirectory.com

As word leaked out over a week ago that America’s Next Top Model is being picked up for yet another season, fashion pundits in disdain and amazement pondered the decade-long appeal of the sometime over-hyped model reality show. After further examination, America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) has had a major impact on the American fashion landscape, if not so much for the contestants who’ve participated on the show season after season.

Surprisingly, the accomplishments of ANTM alums Jaslene Gonzales (Cycle 8), Chantal Jones and Lisa Jackson (Cycle 9), Fatima Siad (Cycle 10) and Aminat Ayinde, Celia Ammmerman and Teyona Anderson (Cycle 12), who regularly grace the runways during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, have been overshadowed by the success of models who have participated in Next Top Model franchises in other countries. Next Top Model contestants from spinoffs in France, Holland, Germany, Russia, Australia, and Great Britain have reaped the true rewards of the Next Top Model empire by booking campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Burberry, Sonia Rykiel, D&G, Bergdorf Goodman, the oh-so commercial Macy’s, and a host of other international brands, as well as appearing on the covers of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle.

Fatima Siad images courtesy of fashionmodeldirectory.com

Fatima Siad has quietly become ANTM’s breakout top model.  In the past year Siad has walked in the ready-to-wear shows of Hermes, Dries van Noten, Chadwick Bell, Tracy Reese, Moncler Gamme Rouge, Andrew Gn, St. John, Thierry Colson, and Kevork Kiledjian, as well as the couture shows of Alexandre Vauthier and Didit Hediprasetyo.  Siad has also appeared in ad campaigns for Herve Leger, Arbonne, Covergirl, and Avon.

In 2011 Fatima Siad spoke to nymag.com about her post-ANTM model career. “I didn’t really work [much] my first year. My agency wanted to strip the whole Top Model off me and basically sell me as a model, and not a reality TV model. I did jobs here and there, but I think what was going on was that my agency wanted to build me from scratch. I was learning through it all,” explained Siad.

Teyona Anderson images courtesy of Manny Roman and fmd.com

Like Fatima Siad, other ANTM alums have had to build from scratch and re-evaluate their ANTM association. (I personally worked on an editorial shoot with season 12 winner Teyona Anderson a year after her win. During the shoot Anderson detailed that she was switching agencies due to a lack of work and had minimized her association with the show to ensure more success.) After her career re-vamp and name modification (Asia Anderson), Anderson has walked in shows for Issey Miyake, Gant by Michael Bastian, Imitation of Christ, Project Runway, and Miguel Adrover.

Alice Burdeu images courtesy of fashionmodeldirectory.com

Still, when you look at former contestants and winners from other Next Top Model shows the results have been anything short of phenomenal. Alice Burdeu, winner of Australia’s Next Top Model  cycle 3, has walked in shows for Chado Ralph Rucci, Marc Jacobs, Marchesa, Proenza Schuler, Alexander McQueen,  Dolce & Gabbana, Sonia Rykiel, Christian Lacroix, Lanvin, Lacoste,  and Jill Sander, just to name a few. She has also appeared in campaigns for D&G, Blumarine, Sonia Rykiel, Napolean Perdis and Mimco.

Patricia van der Vliet images courtesy of fashionmodeldirectory.com

Patricia van der Vliet who participated in Holland’s Next Top Model cycle 4 has had a very successful and lucrative career although she did not win the competition. Patricia has walked in runway shows for Balenciaga, Givenchy, Burberry Prosum, Chanel, Prada, Calvin Klein, Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and many more. In 2010 van der Vliet walked in a total of 41 shows and in fall 2011 despite being sick van der Vliet walked in 31 shows. Particia van der Vliet has appeared on the covers of Vogue France, Vogue China, and Elle France. She has appeared in campaigns for Balenciaga, Burberry, Sonia Rykiel, H&M, Alexander McQueen, Nicole Farhi and Bergdorf Goodman.

Ksenia Kahnovich won the Russian adaptation of ANTM when she was 17. Since her win, Kahnovich has walked for Versace, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana, Elie Saab, Badley Mischka, Gucci and Christian Lacroix. She has also appeared on the covers of Harper’s Bazaar, Madame Figaro and Cosmopolitan.

With ANTM and all of its global incarnations, Tyra Banks has created pop a fashion phenomenon that is going into its 20^th cycle and still has market appeal. And though fashion purists contend that the fashion reality show is a far cry from the real fashion industry, Banks has made an indelible mark in fashion history and has helped launch the careers of several aspiring models. Fatima Siad sums it up best, “I ran into her [Tyra Banks] in the Lower East Side and she hopped out of her car yelling, “Fatima, girl! I’m so proud of you!” She shows me love. I feel like she’s always tried to coach me, but I was never there yet to understand. I always thought she was really tough on me, but now I see, I think she saw potential.”

—William S. Gooch