Blonde beauty, Sarah Swartz, was the first eliminee to be voted off on Bravo's Make Me A Supermodel.  The judges deemed her too "girlfriend pretty" to be a high fashion supermodel, but she still has high hopes of making it in the international modeling world.  Sarah spoke to BuddyTV today about getting cast on Make Me A Supermodel as well as her opinion of what it means to be high fashion.  Below, you will find an audiofile and a complete transcript of the interview.

Hey everybody. This is Debbie at BuddyTV, and I'm talking to Sarah from Bravo's Make Me A Supermodel. Hi Sarah!

Hello, hello, hello!


When did you first start wanting to become a model?

Modeling. Wow. I was probably 12. Kind of young, but my sister had done it, I had seen my mom's modeling photos when she was 17, and it interested me. They never pushed me. And I always had an eye for fashion and I just started getting into it. I went to Barbizon, these kind of things. I was, "Okay," learning the way. I just loved the confidence it gave me, especially as a young girl. And especially, the other side of fashion, photography, interested me so much.

I went to school in Tampa, so it was kind of a smaller market, central Florida. I went to Orlando a few times, and that's when I signed, in Tampa, just in high school. I did equestrian magazines, a lot of editorial stuff. And then I moved to Miami for college, I hooked up with photographers. I never signed with them because I had friends that were kind of questioning my look in the Miami market. Because, you know, they want Latinas and different kind of odd looks and mine was mainstream, I guess you can say. So I just did photographers and I learned what they wanted and really learned how to work with them in that side of the spectrum, versus agents.


What was the audition process like for you to get on Make Me A Supermodel?

Oh, wow, that was a little intense. I had just gone to the casting in Miami. I didn't know that they were doing national casting, you know, New York, L.A., Chicago, these types of things. And I just kind of popped in after midterms one day, and I was like, "Okay, whatever." I didn't think much of it, even though I knew, okay, this is a big deal. And finally, when they said, "Okay, we want you to come to New York," that was, woah. Okay, maybe they are interested.

I still didn't believe it, it didn't set in until they had flown us—I think it was almost 40 of us there. I was intimidated, but at the same time, I had confidence. I knew they had picked me for a reason and I was meant to be there. None of us knew at the time that it was going to be cutting right then and there. We thought we were all going to be there for a week and no big deal. They were going to choose from us and just started cutting down, down, down until it was 24. It was like, "I'm still here." Walking for Niki and New York Models, it was intense. That was definitely a big one. I didn't know it was going to be like that. And then when they notified me that I was going to be one of the 14 in the house, it was tears. I really couldn't believe that. The 24 people were extremely talented, and to be chosen as one of the 14, I was so happy.


Did you ever consider trying to get on another modeling show like America's Next Top Model?

No, no. Actually, I had interest in Tyra. I like that she gives the models her honest advice and says, "Pose this way," or, "Do these things." She really gives the best tips she can give. When it first came out, I was really, really interested in it, but I was 16 at the time and you had to be 18 to be on it. Professors of mine in high school were like, "You should go on that, you should go on that," and I'm like, "I'm too young, I'm too young." And then, when I went to college, I thought maybe not, I'll just work with photographers. It popped in my mind, yes, but I was too young at the time. And by the time I was 18, you know, it's not really for me.


So, the thing that sets Make Me A Supermodel apart from ANTM is that there are boys. So, what was that like? Are the expectations different? Like, are the walks different and the poses and all of that for a female versus a male?

Right. Male modeling and female modeling are two totally different worlds, which is why I was so happy that they had Tyson Beckford and Niki Taylor to kind of give these two different perspectives on each industry. Two completely different. I'm so happy that it was coed because it made being in the house a lot more fun. It wasn't about the cattiness of the girls, even though none of us were like that. It put fun into the air. At first, I didn't think any of us had the notion of "Oh, this is our competition too." I was like, "You know what? There's only one winner, really, so.

The advice of Tyson and Niki set it apart. Yes, the posing is completely different. All these things, you know, how to work a bathing suit, completely different. But being that it's so soon into this competition, it was more teamwork. I was definitely helping people with their walks, and they were helping us on ours. All of us had modeled previously, so we understood each side, each perspective of male modeling and female modeling. So, as long as we had a gist of it, it was okay. So, it set it apart, but at the same time, I'm so glad we all got along great.


And, before you got eliminated in last night's episode, Cory gave you the critique that you're more girl next door instead of high fashion. And, I just wanted your perspective. What does it mean to you to be high fashion, and what does it entail as a model?

Right. I remember his comments specifically because I remember thinking the whole time they haven't given me a real, in detail....why I was up for the vote and everything. When he had said that, I was like, "Okay, you know, they want supermodel status. If I'm just the girl next door, that's an issue." To me, high fashion is very....okay, like Shannon, six-foot, high cheekbones. Jacki has amazing cheekbones and so does Stephanie. Odd looks. Like they may not be a girl on the street that's like, "Wow, she's pretty." But also, Aryn, she photographs beautifully. It's because she has these kind of jagged features and big eyes. They photograph very well. But that doesn't always translate to beauty on the street or in the store. "Wow, she's so pretty." That doesn't always translate. High fashion is an odd look.

I definitely embrace more of that now because before I left, I had the option to do the makeover or not. And actually, they chopped all my hair, and I'm way embracing it now because it's making me a little more intense and fierce. So I definitely think that I can embrace something more than just the girl next door.


Great, sounds great. What's next for you? Are you pursuing your modeling career now?

I am. I have so much to think about before I actually set a plan, but... I mean, Miami, yes, I'll have to move back there and all these things, but all of us in the house, all 14 models definitely plan to work, coming back to New York. We're going to actually pursue this. I definitely want to do international markets. Milan is my ultimate dream and, of course, Paris. All of us will do well overseas, and I think that that's a definite option for me. Maybe not Miami. I'll see, but New York, I definitely want to move back. That's definitely my plan, and then international work for sure. Milan, number one, for me.

-Debbie Chang, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of Bravo)