( L - R )Mais KimberlEy Mais - Contributed photos

This is the second in our weekly feature turning the spotlight on The Gleaner-sponsored Pulse Caribbean Model Search (CSM).

In 1987, Kimberley Mais was a fresh faced 16-year-old who had just completed high school. Her life suddenly changed, when she won Pulse's Jamaica Fashion Model competition. In that moment, she substituted a school life for the glamorous world of fashion.

"It was the turning point of my life," reflects the 5' 8" beauty.

Impressive Career

Her impressive international career spawned the evolution of Jamaica Fashion Model to the current CMS, paving the way for future Pulse stars such as Justine Willoughby, Nikki Vassel, Jaunel McKenzie, and Carla Campbell, to name a few.

Mais went on to become one of the world's most successful new faces establishing the name of a then young agency, named Pulse.

Mais created history in 1987, when she was selected from over 1,000 local and international models to do Japan's Kirin beer campaign. She became the darling of the Japanese fashion and beauty industry working almost every day.

She achieved the unprecedented feat of appearing on the cover of every issue of Vingtaine, Japan's number one magazine (at the time), for an entire year.

Signed to Elite Folio, Kimberley did scores of television commercials, thousands of catalogues, magazine covers, and fashion shows. Her success in Japan relayed to Europe where she did magazine covers, commercials and editorials across the continent. She was even the face of Turkey's tourism campaign in 1988.

"Initially, it was very challenging because I was venturing into uncharted territory," noted Mais.

She had no predecessors to emulate, and for young Jamaican women, modelling was not yet a career path to follow.

For 10 years, Kimberley's face was all over Europe and Japan and she lived like a nomad, spending a few months each time in Tokyo, Spain, New York, France and Jamaica.

Pivotal role

According to Pulse CEO Kingsley Cooper, Mais plays a pivotal role in Pulse history.

"Kimberley's success in the world markets was our first experience of a strong and sustained modelling career."

She took the company to initial notoriety. Today, international agencies are on the look-out for the fresh, new talent Pulse has to offer.

After a decade on the international scene, Mais felt the need to put down some roots. She married and moved back to Jamaica in 1996.

She completed film school in New York and today she hosts, 'Ready for Caribbean Fashion Week', 'Caribbean Fashion Weekly' and 'Island Dreams'.

Children

When not in front of the camera, her time is spent caring for her three children aged nine, seven and five months.

With the 2007 edition of CMS now on, Mais has some valuable advice for the model hopefuls.

"It's such a tough business and you face rejection every day," she warns. "You have to believe in yourself and know that even the top models don't get every job. You have to be strong, have a good sense of self and remember that it might not happen over night."

On Sunday, September 2, Mais will make a special guest appearance at the CMS finals at the Hilton Kingston hotel.

( L - R ) Justine Willoughby then and now Lois Samuels