D10 THE SUNDAY GLEANER, MARCH 6, 2022 | LIFESTYLE CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Shantae Leslie walks the runway for Ports 1961 by Karl Templer. The rising star returned to the Prada runway. AS IF to prove that her success with the revered Prada, on whose runway she made her debut appearance in world of modelling in Milan, Pulse’s newest sensation, Shantae Leslie, is currently running riot across Europe. The winner of Pulse’s last pre-pandemic Model Search, Leslie had to wait more than two years to enter the international market, but no one could say that her current grab of fashion’s big brands across Europe was not worth the wait. From the collections of Milan and Paris to the couture shows, she has been in hot demand. Leslie, who left Jamaica at the beginning of the year, opened her 2022 season with one of fashion’s biggest haute couture brands, Dior. The rising star got a stunning introduction and is already striding like a pro on the season’s autumn/winter collections. Being selected to walk for an important fashion mark like Dior is key because the haute couture is itself special. And as the clothes are judged by the highest standard of dressmaking, (the literal translation for the French word couture), so are the rigours of model selection. “Shantae is a perfect fit for this exclusive fashion presentation,” says Pulse’s Romae Gordon. “Her long limbs and perfect 5’11” stature are a designer’s dream.” After the couture in Paris, the young star hopped over to London, where she had appointments to meet with the top fashion editors, including British Vogue, before heading off to Milan for her second date with Prada, where she shot for the brand’s catalogue, which is to be published worldwide, later this year. A trip to Belgium’s fashion capital, Antwerp, was next on the schedule for the in-demand Leslie. Duties in Brussels included both a shoot and show for designer Raf Simons. “My looks were so cool for Raf. I loved the cap/tam piece that resembled a rasta hat,” Leslie said with a smile. “It has been exhilarating, travelling all over Europe for these important jobs. I am proud of myself and how I have adjusted to getting around easily.” It was back to Milan, Italy, as soon as the set closed in Antwerp, Belgium. This time it was for Prada’s beautifully simple but superhigh-fashion autumn/winter 2022 collection. The teenager took to the runway in look number two with a lady-like polish that resembled a pro strutting her stuff for years. Ports 1961 by Karl Templar was next on the roster, and here, Leslie donned what is now a staple for hair experts doing the styling at the collections — corn rows— as if to mimic her clothing look of frills and stripes of a similar pattern. An oversized red jacket look for designer Yoon Ahn for Ambush capped off her Milan season, and Leslie joined the high-flying fashion lot and was off to Paris, where she made her second outing for Dior up to press time. With this impressive early catalogue of work for some of the world’s best fashion houses, in just over a season and a half, the new Pulse star has a bright future ahead. “Once Shantae continues on this trajectory with a strong and steady rise, there are no barriers to her making it to the top of world modelling,” said Gordon. PULSE’S SHANTAE RUNS RIOT ACROSS EUROPE Leslie walked the runway for Dior in a gray pantsuit.
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