THIS TIME last year, former Greenhead College student Naomi Gabriel was a fashion store assistant with ambitions to become a model.

Today, the 22-year-old is poised to launch a catwalk and photographic career thanks to the Examiner’s first Model of the Year competition.

Naomi, a statuesque 5ft 11ins tall, was chosen from a line-up of six finalists last May.

Her prize was a £1,000 worth of clothes, cosmetics, hairstyling and a modelling course at Huddersfield-based Morton Gledhill The Fashion Team.

Model agency partner Bernadette Gledhill says she has been thrilled with Naomi’s progress.

“She’s a natural,” she said. “Even the first week we could tell. She holds herself really well and has a great walk.”

Naomi, who was brought up in Newsome but now lives near Leeds, has also proved that she can work well as part of a team. Something that Bernadette says is crucial for a model.

“One of the most important things is having the right attitude and Naomi has a lovely attitude. Our models have got to get on with our clients and be open and friendly.”

As well as taking the top prize in our model competition, which was run in conjunction with Max Factor in Boots and Rubens hair salon, Naomi is also one of three winners of The Fashion Team’s own in-house Model of the Year competition. This year nearly 50 new models competed.

Her prize was to join a portfolio photoshoot at Imagemaker in Milnsbridge, where she was photographed by John Dean, Melanie Nicholson and Frances Milburn.

Now that she’s been signed to the agency, Naomi is due to take part in her first fashion show casting.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “It’s been great and all because I went into Boots and entered the competition.”

A former drama and English student, Naomi works at the Leeds city centre Gap store but says she has always wanted to be a model.

Because she has shown such promise, Naomi is also being given the chance to sign up with a major London modelling agency.

“We think she has potential,” said Bernadette, “so we’re sending her to London and making appointments at the top agencies.

“We have had some great success stories with our models and we’re hoping that Naomi will be one of them.”

Our model competition may also have been the start of something bigger for runners-up Rachel Booth from Linthwaite and Rebecca Peartree from Lindley.

Both girls signed up for modelling courses with The Fashion Team and are now on the agency’s books. They will be joining Naomi at the forthcoming fashion show casting.

The world of modelling is fiercely competitive so Naomi and her fellow hopefuls will have many hurdles to overcome. However, they’ve made that important first break.

“We see a lot of girls who come for courses and not all of them want to be models,” said Bernadette. “They come for other reasons, such a self-esteem and confidence. And not all of them will make it anyway. We try to be as honest as we can about their chances.

“One thing I’d like to say to anyone who wants to be a model is that they shouldn’t go out and spend a fortune on a portfolio of pictures.

“ A snapshot is quite sufficient initially, I can’t stress that too much.

“We hear some quite sad stories of people who have spent up to £1,000 on a portfolio and yet have no chance at all of making it as a model. It’s heartbreaking.”