A Prince George modeling agency made a splash in Vancouver earlier this month.
Not only was Jana Phillips Agency named the "directors choice" at the Faces West International Model and Talent Convention, Nov. 10-13, but five of its seven models received call backs.
"Each year we vote on who should win this award and this year we felt Jana did a really good job and is really conscientious and brought some great people for the first time, so we gave her the award," said convention founder and president Charles Stuart.
Now in its 19th year, roughly 300 contestants from across Western Canada and the United States attend the convention which draws 30 talent scouts from around the world
"She put on a show with her contestants, what we call a group runway, and she did really well," Stuart continued.
Phillips, who has run the agency for about 18 months now, was thrilled with the award.
"It was a big shocker," she said.
As for the models, receiving a call back is no guarantee of a job but shows scouts from the fashion and advertising industries are interested
Stuart characterized northern B.C. as a source of untapped potential.
"The best models you find sometimes are from these real small centres," Stuart said. "All these surrounding towns where it might be hard for these kids to get into Vancouver to get somebody to look at them, and now they can just [get] into Prince George and meet with Jana."
Phillips holds modeling classes from September to June.
