Sixteen-year-old Cumberland High School stunner Breana Carson made more than a buzz at the recently concluded Paris Fashion Week when she appeared as a world exclusive for the on-trend, super-prestigious Celine brand. This is fashion history as it is the first time that a Jamaican model has been directly booked from Jamaica (by the model’s Jamaican agency) by the high-fashion brand, known to be as trendsetting as it is selective.
Indeed, Saint International made a spectacularly historic double booking as the Deiwght Peters agency also secured a second worldwide exclusive for Tash Ogeare, who hails from Port Antonio. Indeed, the Saint duo earned coveted spots as the casting was global and thousands of prospects were seen. “This is yet another wonderful and incontrovertible statement that Saint models are among the best in the world,” commented CEO Peters.
The tall Carson, who calls Portmore home, was scouted two years prior by fashion powerhouse Peters. On the spot, Peters told her he would make her a star but that her dreams had to be delayed. She was 14 at the time. Carson could claim that it was divine motivation that took her to school that morning. Her parents had no money for bus fare or lunch money but decided that she could not miss school that day. She walked almost an hour from her home in Gregory Park to school in Cumberland. She recalls that when she met Peters, he told her, “You are going to be such a star.”
Soon after scouting her, Peters met with her father and explained his professional ambitions for his daughter, which were happily endorsed. A few short weeks later, in March 2017, Carson won the prestigious and coveted Fashion Face of the Caribbean competition from a strong field of 50 finalists.
PETERS’ STAR-MAKING PLAN
This was the beginning of Peters’ star-making plan.
“Breana was an easy-to-make star, but I realised it would take a period of intensive training, building self-awareness and self-confidence and tweaking her look,” Peters said of his latest protégé – and we shall take notes. After all, he is internationally acknowledged as the Jamaican model-making master whose legendary eye has been remarkably covered by Italian Vogue, France’s Le Monde, Forbes Magazine, American Vogue and the New York Times.
In the latter part of last year, the casting directors from the house of Celine reached out to Saint to see its much-sought-after pool of new faces.
After a casting in Kingston, Carson was one of two Saint faces who were shortlisted by the team. The other was Ogeare, who, ironically, was Carson’s successor and winner of the 2018 Fashion Face of the Caribbean contest.
Fast-forward to March 1, and Carson had stamped her name into the fabulous annals of fashion as a world exclusive for the brand. It was her first show. This was a historic moment for the Jamaican model, who was the first Jamaican to be booked directly from the island for the world-renowned brand.
DREAM COME TRUE
“It feels like a dream come true,” Carson told us of her experience from Paris. “I love the entire team, and they took great care of me and the models.”
Darien Henry, principal of Cumberland High School, shared sentiments of pride.
“The students and staff are very proud of Breana. She is very talented, and we are confident she will take the world by storm. She is from humble beginnings but is very assertive and focused on her education. We will continue to give her wholehearted support.” The principal also gave high commendations to Saint.
“We thank Saint International and its Deiwght Peters for bringing this opportunity; we are forever grateful,” he said.
It was a night of ‘Jamaican fabulosity’ on the Paris runway of Celine when Carson was joined by her Saint sisters Christine Willis and Ogeare in what Vogue scored highly on the top 12 shows of Paris Fashion Week. The show’s success was also validated by its enviable listing among Vogue’s Top 10 Most Viewed Collections of the Fall 2019 Season.
Carson has also found her Paris agency home in the powerful Elite Paris, joining supermodels Tami Williams, Shanniel Williams, Shane Guyher and others.
Carson had dreams of becoming an assistant secretary until the fateful day she met Peters at her school. He told her, “Dream bigger, dear Breana.”
The Jamaican agency has recorded a historic number of direct bookings from its Jamaica-based operations. No Jamaican/Caribbean model agency can claim a higher level of booking success for prestigious and coveted brands across the fashion world than Saint.
