It was here in the fashion capital of the world that the contestants were fiercely competitive. From serious struts to winning smiles, these girls were not afraid to pull out all of the stops when it came to discerning themselves from the rest of the crowd. Here, we take a look at scenes from the competition.
Judges for the NYC portion of the IT Girl competition included (from l to r): Calvin Wilson, from Elite Model Management; Bethann Hardison; Tia Williams, from essence.com and Micki Schneider from Elite Model Management.
Here one of the contestants tells us why she thinks the judges should choose her to be the next ESSENCE IT Girl.
No nervousness here! One of the contestants is all smiles for the camera after strutting her stuff in front of the judges.
One of the contestants tries to set herself apart from the rest of the pack by wowing the judges with her bubbly personality.
The judges listened intently to each contestant before marking their final scores.
Probably one of the hardest parts for the contestants? Deciding what to say when asked a question by modeling legend BethAnn Hardison.
You better work! Half the battle of being a good model is a fierce walk. One of the contestants showcases her best runway strut for the judges.
A contestant showcases her perfect posture while talking with the judges.
No stranger to the media, Bethann Hardison talks with a reporter during a brief break in the competition.
Competitors anxiously awaited their turn to go before the judging panel.
After leaving the waiting room, contestants were asked to remove their shoes in order to get measured. In the modeling world, good measurements equate to a great model.
One of the first stops on the measurement trail for contestants was to have their waist measured.
The taller the better! Contestants lined up against the wall to have their height taken.
Contestants were more than willing to bide their time in the waiting room and expressed excitement before heading in to see the judges.
From shaved mohawks to afros, contestants weren’t afraid to let their hairstyles do the talking at the competition.
