Abrand Jeans is seeking the next face of the 13-year-old denim brand. The Melbourne, Australia-based company has launched the “Next Icons Models Search” in partnership with Urban Outfitters and Precision MGMT, a Melbourne-based global modeling and management agency.
The brand is looking for “up-and-coming” models and influencers of all gender identity across the globe to submit their best model walk for a chance to be the next face of Abrand Jeans. The winner will receive a $35,000 cash prize, a modeling contract and a photo shoot “in a dream location,” according to the company.
The search begins on Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST, where applicants may submit a runway walk wearing Abrand’s Jeans via TikTok using #AbrandNextIcons sound and hashtags.
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Applicants can purchase or try on Abrand Jeans at select Urban Outfitters and they can film their submission in-store. Urban Outfitters is training staff to help consumers cast submissions in-person at select stores. Applicants can try on jeans at any store that stocks Abrand, and submit their entry. The best runway walks showing the talents’ personality will provide a better chance of making the next round.
The public is invited to vote and select their favorite top six applicants.
The top 50 voted entries from Los Angeles; New York; Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, Australia; Auckland, New Zealand, and Sweden will be invited to join Abrand Jeans at an in-person casting. (Applicants from other places can apply as long as they can get themselves to a casting.) Applicants who make it to round two will meet a panel of judges from Precision Management and Abrand Jeans who will choose the top six finalists to win a flight to L.A., hotel accommodations, a studio photo shoot and an event with fellow finalists.
The top six finalists campaign will be released globally in April. Voting will reopen to the public to select the single finalist who will win and become Abrand Jeans “The” Next Icons Model.
The global winner will be revealed in July and will win the major prize pack, including a Precision Management model contract, a $35,000 U.S. cash prize and be featured as the single talent in the global campaign. The global winner’s campaign and photo shoot will go live in October and will be featured in select Urban Outfitters stores.
Caitlin John, marketing director of Abrand Jeans, said the company is not seeking a specific look. “We just want someone who aligns with our brand and has a personality behind it as well. Abrand is a brand that’s made cool by those who wear it,” she said. That is why it is asking the applicants to create a TikTok and video content.
She said Abrand wants to give the opportunity to more people to get discovered and get in front of Precision Management. In the U.S., applicants have to be over 21 years old and in Europe and Australia, they need to be over 18. “There is no cap on how old you can be,” she said.
Abrand Jeans retail between $99 and $120. It has a large distribution in Australia, selling in all the major stores and indies and in the U.S., it sells in such stores as Urban Outfitters, its largest U.S. account, and Tillys. In Europe, it sells in stores such as Zalando.
She said the yearlong project will provide plenty of behind the scene content at different stages of the roll-out.