The modeling competition show “The Face” is back for an all-new season with all-new judges, girls and challenges. Hosted by photographer Nigel Barker, “The Face” is a newer competition series featuring top model coaches who mentor aspiring models as they fight until the end. The last woman standing will become the face of Ulta Beauty and have a spread in Elle magazine. The legendary Naomi Campbell returns to coach a new set of potentials alongside new judges Anne V and Lydia Hearst, replacing Karolina Kurkova and Coco Rocha of last season.
The show starts off strong with the contestants showing off their runway walks to the judges in nothing more than underwear in Bryant Park. This was their first shot at showing the judges their capabilities.
After the girls had been separated into teams of four, they were sent off to their first challenge: being live mannequins in a Juicy Couture store window. Teams had to embody the “Juicy Girl” as she heads out with friends for a girl’s night out in one pose.
“The Face” started with the drama right away. It already seems one girl – a Russian single mother named Kira – lit a fire under the other girls when she spoke about being more experienced than the others. In addition, a huge plot twist explodes in one judge’s face when we see just how vengeful Naomi can be. If there’s anything good from her being on the show, it’s that she’s always willing to put someone where she thinks they belong.
Newcomers Anne V and Lydia Hearst also show they are not meant to be in Naomi’s shadow. Because Campbell is so legendary, it can be easy to let everyone else kind of fall into the background. However, both of these women have portfolios to rival.
There’s also a good range of talent within the contestants. Women from all over the world have been selected, and while one model had been working as a waitress the week prior, others have been modeling for a while and have some success under their belts.
The interesting thing about “The Face,” as opposed to other modeling competitions, is the battle between the top model coaches as well as the contestants. It’s no secret that Naomi is someone who does not like to be messed with and she brings that no-nonsense attitude right with her to the show’s taping. Although it’s good to see that her fellow coaches haven’t backed down from her – yet.
“The Face” may just be the show that everyone makes their guilty pleasure, since modeling shows haven’t been taken too seriously for a while now, but Nigel Barker’s good looks could be enough of a reason to stay tuned. Besides, it might be a good idea to have something to compare to the latest season of “America’s Next Top Model.”
