Tanya Batson, staff reporter
Divas magazine will soon
sport the face of Jamaican model Canise Jackson. While this announcement may now be met with the question, 'Canise who?', this fashion coup suggests that the question should not be relevant much longer.
The fact that a relative unknown has been selected to grace a magazine cover is an impressive feat in a modelling career. Jackson states that she is excitedly nervous about what this will mean for her career, noting, however, that with Saint International's Dewight Peters and God by her side, she should be fine. "It's not a usual thing, but I'm really happy and grateful for everything," she further explained. Jackson sees this achievement as recognition of her talent, viewing it as just a stepping stone. She notes that the Jamaican concept of beauty is changing. "Some people are so backward," she said. "Some people will look at you and say that girl is so skinny, but people are coming around and I think there is hope for modelling in this country." Jackson further noted that with this change, rather than seeing a woman her size as 'mawga', they will be able to say "that girl is a model." At five feet 11 inches, Jackson is a mere size four. As such, she is what would be politically correctly described as a waif.
The photo shoot which won her the Divas cover took place at Hedonism II and was shot by Ron Contarsy. It included fashions by Vivienne Westwood and Liz Collins. Jackson, who signed with Saint International last year, is now in Europe, having left on Wednesday. The aim of her one-month tour of the continent is to get signed with a good agency and further strengthen her contacts.
The recent successes of Saint International (they also recently had one of their models placed in the United Colours of Bennetton campaign) suggest that the company has found the magic formula to get Jamaican faces noticed in the international world of modelling. Peters noted that the fashion world and what it requires is misunderstood at the local level. He states that what they are looking for are tall women, with long limbs, good bone structure and a good personality. He noted that the final feature is far more important than many think. Canise, who subscribes to the image of the waif, fits this description perfectly. Peters also revealed that working with great photographers is also very important. He noted that clients were looking for a particular image and not everyone would be able to capture that image. "There are those photographers who you should be keen to work with as a young model," he stated.
Having found the formula, Peters revealed that Saint International intends to become the most powerful black modelling agency in the world in the next five years.
