Before “America’s Next Top Model,”
Kendal Brown was on track to work in health care.
By Nadria Tucker
Kendal Brown’s first plane ride didn’t just take her to Los Angeles, but into living rooms across the country.
The then-23-year-old Northport native left her small, close-knit community to join the ranks of contestants hoping to be crowned “America’s Next Top Model”
Her risk has paid off. For the last 4 weeks, Brown has earned praise from judges such as designer Diane von Fürstenberg and Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley. Her performance on the show has steadily improved, and she seems poised to go far in the competition.
Brown answered questions via e-mail on host Tyra Banks, her competitors and her teeny tiny problem with becoming a nurse.
• Why did you try out for “Top Model” on Tyra.com? Had you auditioned before?
I was a member of Tyra.com, and I always follow her to see what she is doing. She always gave you tips on makeup, clothes, food, hair, everything a girl loves, and you also get to be picked by Tyra herself. Who doesn’t want that?
The supermodel herself wants me to try our for “America’s Next Top Model” — that’s awesome.
People think I didn’t have to audition and wait for hours, but I did. I had to experience everything everyone else had to do.
I went to an audition in Birmingham for Cycle 14 and didn’t get to go in because I didn’t have a passport. I was devastated. That’s OK: God wanted me to be in [Cycle 15], the high fashion cycle. That’s the way I see it.
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• Do you think the show portrays you accurately?
I think they did, because I am funny, kind of shy at times and say whatever is on my mind. I will tell you the truth.
You can tell everything I’m thinking from my facial expressions. I show everything on my face. My facial expressions are priceless, ha ha. I don’t try to hide anything.
• Who did you get along with? Who did you dislike?
I pretty much got along with everyone. I’m not a person who likes to get into arguments and fights. I was away from my family. I was already missing them, so fighting and arguments would have made me stressed out. I was more focused on the prize and winning.
The two I was really close with were Terra and Chris (White). Terra and I, we are similar in ways. We are about the same age. She is a very sweet, down-to-earth person. Her sister Chris is hilarious. She knows how to have a good time. They are honest and loyal, and they are from the South, so you can’t go wrong with that.
An upcoming challenge puts Brown in the wrestling ring.
• What was working with Tyra really like?
Working with Tyra is awesome. It’s a little intimidating at first, because she is so beautiful, and we’re talking about the Tyra Banks, the supermodel who graced the covers of thousands of magazines.
Once you get comfortable and get to know her and talk with her, all your nerves go away, because she is just that down to earth. She is an all-around beautiful person inside and out.
There are many working models who probably didn’t get the opportunity to work with her, and I did.
• Why did Tyra ask you about your virginity in the first episode?
On the application, it asks you to name three interesting things about yourself, and I stated I was a virgin. I haven’t dated in high school at all. I started my real, first relationship when I was 20.
I’d rather experience love and get to know that person, rather than just have sex with them. You can have sex with anybody, but if you don’t have love, true feelings, commitment, honesty, trust, it’s nothing. I like to have those before I make a big decision like that.
• Are you still enrolled at Virginia College in Birmingham?
No.
• What were you studying?
I was studying to be a health care reimbursement specialist, because I wanted to work in the nursing field, but I didn’t want to be hands-on with the patients. I am a germaphobe. That wouldn’t be a good job for me, so I figured I can be behind the desk, working with computers, typing and putting health information in the computer system. As I get older, I can see myself behind a desk.
I was on the president’s list two semesters in a row, 4.0 (GPA), so I am pretty smart.
• What was the most important thing you learned on the show?
(Modeling) is not as easy as people might think it is. It is hard work.
I remember watching the shows and always saying, “Why is she crying?” I can honestly understand now, since I have experienced it. You will never know how much it takes, until you experience it.
• How does the reality of modeling compare to what you imagined it to be?
It’s harder than what I expected. Waking up early in the mornings, staying on set for hours and hours …
You have to know your angles and your best side, take direction well and model from head to toe. It’s not just standing there like people think. You may think you’re doing well, but the picture is saying otherwise.
• What advice would you give aspiring models?
Do your homework. Study your favorite model: the way she poses, everything.
Know the fashion designers, the latest trends and photographers. Know what type of modeling you want to do.
Send your pictures to modeling agencies. It doesn’t have to be professional, but make sure you have a swimsuit on, so the agency can see your body. They should tell you what kind of pictures to send them on their website.
Stay away from scams. You shouldn’t have to pay up front or at all.
Stay focused, passionate, dedicated, driven and just believe in yourself. You can do anything you put your mind to.
“America’s Next Top Model” airs at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on CW 21.
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Birmingham writer Nadria Tucker (@NadriaTucker) dabbles in magical realism and the Southern gothic tradition, but always keeps an eye toward the future of Southern fiction. Her award-winning fiction is character driven and sometimes dark, but usually plays fair. Her work has been featured in publications such as The2ndHand, Lipstick and Birmingham Magazine.
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On the runway: more on “America’s Next Top Model.”
Chance Shirley, co-founder of Birmingham-based 
