This morning I had the pleasure of chatting with Isabella, the first model hopeful sent home from Cycle 12 of America's Next Top Model.

Isabella was just as she had appeared on the show: sweet, charming, and well-spoken. If ANTM was an interview contest, Isabella would win the thing hands down. We chatted about Tyra's dramatic entrance as the Goddess of Fierce, how long it takes to shoot an hour of ANTM, and what's next for Isabella. 

 

This is Abbey with BuddyTV and today I’m talking with Isabella from America’s Next Top Model Cycle 12. How are you doing today Isabella?

I’m good. How are you?

I’m good, thanks. So, congratulations on making it to the Final 13 on ANTM. How did you come to be on ANTM?

I originally tried out for Cycle 11 of America’s Next Top Model, but did not make it past callbacks in New York City. I decided to try out for Cycle 12, so I made an audition video. I sent that in and got a call back. So I went to New York City for my call-back audition and after that process it was a waiting game, really. I came home to Virginia and waited for probably a month and a half for my call-back. When they called me and said I was going to Vegas--that was one of the most exciting days. And of course the phone call came in the middle of the night.

My, that’s dramatic!

Yeah! It was definitely exciting. There weren’t any close-by audition locations. I guess the closest was DC, which was about two hours from me. So I was like “Alright! I’m just going to send in my video tape and see where this takes me.”

You said you tried out for Cycle 11 originally. Is it pretty common for girls to go back and do a second audition? Were there familiar faces from the Cycle 11 auditions at Cycle 12?

I didn’t see anyone that had tried out with me from Cycle 11.But when I tried out for Cycle 11, I saw Lauren Brie. We were both in the New York City auditions for Cycle 11, which is interesting because we’re both from the same area in Virginia. It was quite a coincidence.

It is! So they must breed very beautiful women in your area of Virginia.

Well, thanks!

What was it like to see yourself on TV last night?

It was so nerve wracking just building up to watching the show. But once I sat down, turned the television on and watched it, it was so refreshing to see myself portrayed in the way I had anticipated and planned. It was just me and I enjoyed that. It was my personality and how I am in everyday life. That’s how I am. I always want to be myself.

You had a lot of screen time last night as well.

I did! I was surprised with how much screen time I had, because with a lot of girls, you don’t see them and then they go home. They don’t get a lot of time, so they kind of fade away and the judges decide to send them home. But I got a lot of screen time for the episodes I was there, which was kind of nice. I got my face out there a little bit. I got to show my personality and who I am. It was nice for my family, too, to be able to see my little two hours of fame, I guess.

Everything looks like it takes just a few minutes,  but I know that must not be the case. I know that has to be editing. So how long did the Vegas tryouts with the photo shoot and the runway take?

We were in Vegas for a week.

Oh, wow. So not one day?

Yeah. The days are very long when you’re in Vegas. An hour episode blows by so fast, but an entire week goes by where we’re going through that process.

I had no idea. How long did your actual photo shoot take? Hopefully not a week.

It was an all day event. I would say that we got up at seven in the morning and I was one of the last girls to shoot. Jessica was the very last girl, but I waited for her to finish. We got back to our house tonight after ten. It took all day, and it was a long day. It all revolves around makeup and hair, and getting your wardrobe. At that point there are still thirteen of us so every girl has to have her turn. But it’s a lot of fun. It’s worth the time that we spend on set.

Tell me about Tyra’s dramatic entrance as the Goddess of Fierce. When you’re there watching it, does it look different than it does on TV? Is it magical or a little cheesy? Girls are screaming like she’s Michael Jackson, so I’m just curious about that.

Tyra’s entrance actually looked almost exactly the way it did on TV. To be honest I’ve never been one of those girls who’s been star struck or screamed or cried when people enter the scene. But it is kind of weird when somebody like Tyra comes on the screen. It’s like, “Okay! This is somebody who I’ve watched on television for a long time.” I’ve been watching America’s Next Top Model and now I’m actually standing here in front of her. I’m the kind of person who’s silent and who’s just like, “Okay, this is different. This is odd.” But yeah, there’s a lot of screaming and crying, but I was more of the dumbstruck kind. It can be cheesy, but when you’re there in the moment and you’re part of the cheesiness it’s kind of cool.

Oh, I imagine it’s thrilling. I love Tyra entrances. You know if you’ve watched ANTM – as you obviously have – they’re fabulous. I’m always curious to see what she’s going to do. As someone who’s watched ANTM was it pretty surreal to do the whole thing?

It was surreal. I remember stepping off the bus the first time in Vegas and the J's were standing there. I was like, “Okay, this is just another episode. I’m watching America’s Next Top Model.” Because they look exactly the same as if I’m watching my television, but it was definitely surreal. I had to pinch myself because I’m in Vegas. I’m on America’s Next Top Model. This is no joke. It was a great experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Of course not! What’s next for you Isabella?

I am really hoping to continue doing some modeling and start banging on some doors and talking to some agencies. I’m working right now in my hometown but I want to my life, career and relationship to New Jersey, find a job there and continue to pursue modeling.

What would be your ideal modeling job? If you could do anything in the fashion world, what would you want to do?

I love runway. As a model you get to embrace all parts of the industry because you get to do the walk; you get to strike the pose at the end of the runway and do a good face. Somebody on America’s Next Top Model said that I give good face when I walk on the runway.

You definitely give good face!

I give good face! So yeah, that’s my thing, and to be able to walk in New York Fashion Week would just be amazing. That’s huge. There are so many places you can go with modeling but to walk in an Oscar de la Renta fashion show would be a good start! Yeah, that would be a good start. That would be amazing!

Well there has been a long history of people who haven’t won ANTM who have had incredibly successful careers in fashion. I definitely hope that you’re one of those people.

Thank you.



--Interview Conducted by Abbey Simmons, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image Courtesy of The CW)