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Taking the runway by storm, Saleisha Stowers, a 21 year-old receptionist from LA, walked away with the title of America’s Next Top Model after beating out her other 12 competitors. In a cycle that pitted personality against modeling ability, Saleisha excelled in the personality department and wowed the judges with her bubbly personality, modeling potential, and hard work ethic. Praised by the other girls for teaching them how to improve their runway walk during the show, Saleisha now even shares her runway walk tips with us!
Q: Saleisha, why don’t you tell us a little bit about how you got involved with the competition?
Hi, guys! Basically, I was found on MySpace. One of the casting directors found me on MySpace, and she E-mailed me and asked me if I wanted to audition. At first, I thought it was a little bit like bogus, so I didn’t respond right away. They, I asked one of my best friends if I should do it, and she said, “Yeah, call them up. Go audition.” So, I called her up, and I went to audition, and I made it all the way through. [laughs]
Hi, Saleisha! Congratulations to you for winning America’s Next Top Model.
Thank you!
SV: What do you think the judges saw in you that they didn’t see in the other girls in order to make you America’s Next Top Model?
You know, I went there and I was myself. I really showed my personality, and I really just gave it my all. It is something that I really wanted, and I showed it to them. Each week when we went to judging, I let them know that this is what I really want, and I’m gonna work as . . . I’m going to work so hard for it. I don’t care how hard you criticize me, I’m just gong to work for this, you know. I want this really bad. I think that is what they saw. They saw me working really hard, and I wanted this so bad. I think that is one of the reasons that they decided to make me America’s Next Top Model.
SV: Who do you think your greatest competition was throughout the show and why?
I really believe that Chantal was my greatest competition. I said it in week one during the casting episode that me and her will be in the final two—just because I saw something in her. I don’t know. She just had a fire for it like I did, and I saw how bad she wanted it. I knew that she was going to be one of the girls who really worked hard at it, you know. I just felt that she would be the last two standing with me.
SV: How did you get involved with T-Zone, and what are some of the challenges and struggles you dealt with while growing up that you’ve overcome?
My mom actually signed me up for T-Zone. I guess she found it online or something like that, and she sent in the application. I went for a week. It was held in San Bernardino, CA, and it was a great experience for me to learn. I was 14 and I just met so many wonderful girls who had so many strong, strong, I mean, difficult challenges in their life. I learned so much from that just seeing these other girls who had major, you know, problems than I did, and it just helped me to be thankful for who I am. Just love myself and not beat myself up so much about, “I don’t have this. I don’t have this perfect family, you know.” I don’t know. I just became such a confident person, and I’m really thankful for who I am.
SV: Are you keeping your makeover look with the short hair, and if you could have picked your own makeover, what would you have chosen?
I’m absolutely keeping my makeover look. I’ve grown into it. I absolutely adore it now. It took me a long time to get to this point, but I love how it makes me look now. If I could have had a different makeover look, I probably would have went with still the tiniest bang but probably like jet black and a little bit long—like maybe to the shoulders. Still like to have the little mop look, but just a little bit longer.
SV: How tall are you?
I’m 5’10”.
Q: How are you feeling?
I’m overjoyed right now! I feel so good. I’m so thankful and so blessed to have this opportunity. I can’t be more happier than I am right now.
Q: What was going through your mind when you saw you picture come up on that screen? You must have been ecstatic.
Oh, my God! I freaked out because I absolutely did not know who she was going to choose, and I didn’t even want to look at the TV screen. You can see me shaking my head, and I did not move my head to the TV screen until she announced my name. I was so nervous, and all I kept thinking in my head was like, “Please, let it be me. Please, let it be me.” She said my name, and I just freaked out. I was so excited! I’m so happy. I’m really, really happy!
Q: You seemed like you kind of knew you were going to win the whole time. Were there any moments you had any real doubts?
I did go into the competition being very, very confident. I told myself all the time, “Saleisha, if you feel you cannot win this competition, don’t go in it. It’s just going to waste your time if you lose.” So, I wanted to make sure that, you know, I knew what I was doing, and I knew what I was getting myself in to. So, I tried to stay confident and just focus the whole time, but I did have doubt. After being in the bottom two, you know, when I had the flower shoot, I really saw that these girls took really good pictures, and they were some hard competitors, so I really knew that I had to step my game up for them. Once I got over that little test, I really got confident again, and I just was working harder and now I’m here!
Q: What do you have lined up to do now? I’m sure you’ve got plenty of things going on, especially with all the prizes that you won, but what are you currently doing? What are you working on?
I mean, of course, you know, I met with CoverGirl, so that was a big, exciting thing for me. I’m so excited to be part of CoverGirl, and I met with Seventeen and Elite, so Top Model was a great door-opener for me, so now I’m ready for many doors to open and just go out there and really show everyone how successful I can be and just prove my career to the world.
Q: What was the best piece of advice you got while you were on the show?
The best piece of advice I could have got from the show was just be natural. Just be yourself, you know. Know who you are. Study your body. If you’re going to be in this industry, you have to know who you are, and you have to know how to take criticism. If you can’t take criticism, then it’s not a career for you because this industry is full of negativity, and you have to know how to deal with it. It’s a major part of this industry, so that is like a big thing that I’ve learned is just how to accept everything and stay positive no matter what.
Q: How do you do that because you seem to do that well because in every photo-shoot you’ve gone to, you always go in with a really happy personality, and you’re always so confident. How do you maintain that?
It’s very hard, but I pray daily, and I’m a very God-fearing woman. I just always talk to the Lord, and I always just ask for strength, and just help me to get over this, and just keep me focused, and strengthen me. I just don’t know. I don’t try to let anything get to me because if I let any of the girls or anything there get to me, it will just bring me down, and then I won’t be able to focus during the shoot. Therefore, I want to go into the shoot just being positive and overjoyed, if I can. It was a great experience!
Q: Because you had been to modeling camp before and all that kind of stuff, and I think you said an agent of the website, one of the casting directors saw your MySpace, do you feel that could have been like that was an advantage in some way that you had the experience. . . .
The camp wasn’t a modeling camp. The camp was more like for girls who, you know, just was more of like low self esteem—like, you know, just girls like that. It had nothing to do with modeling. I wasn’t on a MySpace. You said a modeling thing on MySpace?
Q: You said someone saw you on MySpace.
Oh, no, no, no! I had a MySpace page, you know, just like with my friends and stuff—like just regular pictures of myself. It was just a regular page with normal pictures, and she just E-mailed me and was like, “I want you to audition for the show.” So, it didn’t really have anything towards modeling or anything on MySpace.
Q: What was it like for you walking down the runway with last year’s runner, Jaslene?
Oh, my God! That was the best feeling ever. I love the runway. It’s an adrenaline rush for me. I felt so beautiful and I was in my own little fantasy world. I was in China and Jaslene was there, and all I could think of was like I wanted to be in her shoes. I want to feel what’s she’s feeling, and now I’m here, and I know how she feels. I was just so overjoyed at that moment, and I will remember that day for the rest of my life!
Q: How did you get the confidence you needed to walk that runway?
I don’t know! Something inside of me was just like, “You know, this is it. You’ve got to go on this runway, and you’ve got to show these judges that this was meant for you.” I just put all my nerves away in a bag and tossed them out and just went on that runway and gave it my all. I just remained confident until the end, and, you know, it took me all the way to being America’s Next Top Model, so I’m really glad how I handled that. It was a great, great, great day for me!
Q: What was the most difficult part of the competition for you?
The most difficult part of the competition would definitely be my whole transition into my new makeover. It was so hard for me to get used to it and dealing with it on the photo-shoot was hard because I wasn’t confident at that time. I wasn’t comfortable with how I looked, and I didn’t really know how to work the hair, so that was very, very tough for me. As soon as I got over it, and I learned how to work the hair, and I felt more confident, I started doing good in the show.
Q: You got complimented quite a lot on your runway walk. What are your tips for the perfect runway walk?
My perfect tips would just be, first of all, I do believe you have to have confidence. If you don’t have confidence in your walk and you don’t feel that you are the only one on that runway and no one else is there but you, you won’t do it. I just think you just need to practice—walk as if someone is holding your head up really tight, and you can’t move and just walk straight. I will say walk in heels all the time—not matter what. If you’re walking down the sidewalk, pretend like you are on the runway. If you’ve got school, pretend like you’re on the runway. In the mall, pretend like you’re on the runway. I did it from the time I was, what, 16 until now, and I just always practiced. I would have my grandma helping me. We would take black tape and make a line across the living room floor, and I would walk that line all the time—just practice, practice, practice.
Q: What did you learn most about modeling from you time in the competition?
What I learned the most would just be . . . I mean, I got some amazing critiques that I never knew about myself. As far as not having neck, not knowing how to show my neck, that was a big, big thing for me because I never really got what they were saying. I would see my neck, but I guess it would just be short. So, just learning how to lengthen my neck, and show more leg, and just make you body look more leaner. That was really great because it makes the pictures look so much better.
Q: What was your favorite part of your time in China?
My favorite part would have to be the Great Wall. The Great wall was such a great experience. I’ve always wanted to go there. I mean, you read about it in your history books when you’re in school, and you see it on TV, and it’s just a great, great, great place to visit. I think that everybody should go at least once in their life.
Q: What would you like to say to everybody who was a fan and supporter of you while you were on the show?
I just want to say “thank you.” Thank you so much for just supporting me, watching the show, and just keeping me getting through it and not listening to all the negative things that people may say about me, and just being there. It makes me feel good to have fans and know that people do support me and do think I have what it takes because, you know, it keeps me confident. I just want to say thank you, and I really appreciate it.
Q: What do you think of your new celebrity status?
Oh, God! It is so crazy like I can’t even believe it. Like it’s so weird for people to notice me. I got noticed before, but now it’s like people really notice me, and it’s so crazy. My life is changing in the blink of an eye, and I just can’t believe it. I’m so overjoyed, and God, I just can’t wait to see what else is in store for me.
Q: Do feel like the competition changed you at all—like your personality, or your sense of style, or any of that?
I don’t feel like the competition has change like who I am or my personality. I think it’s made me a better model, and it’s made me understand the industry more. But, as far as who I am, I stayed true to myself the whole, entire show, so I feel like I came out of the show still being who I am, but just more knowledge of the modeling industry and what I’ve learned.
Q: What was the best tip that you got from the judges?
The best tip I could have got was just to take every critique as a positive, no matter how negative it was, because that negative, you can learn from it. I did. I took it all in. Every time the judges would critique me, I smiled and I said, “Thank you. I’ll apply it to the next photo-shoot.” I never got bummed out or sad. I just thought about what they said, and I practiced and studied it, and I applied it to the next shoot.
Q: Did you have a favorite? Which was your favorite judge?
Oh, my gosh! I loved all the judges, honestly. They’re all so different. They each have their own opinion, and sometimes they don’t agree on everything. I adored Twiggy. Tyra, she is the head of it, so, of course, I really cared about her, too. Jay, I love Miss Jay. He’s so funny. I mean, I love them all! I can’t just pick one. [laughs]
Q: Had you actually met Tyra before when you were at the T-Zone camp?
I did meet her. I met her along with all the other girls, and the group counselors are at the camp, you know. [Space of silence]
Q: Since the show has taped, what have you been up to? Have you watched the show with friends?
Moderator: Hang on. Hang on. She can’t talk about anything in between the time she left the show and now.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
My plans are just to, you know, I’m going to take it one day at a time. I’m really going to try to do everything that I can in my career. I don’t want to just limit myself to one thing or just try to do, you know, high-fashion or just commercial. Like, I really want to do everything, and, you know, I want to really be a successful model and just go out there and show everybody I can do this, and I want people to be proud of me and really know who I am for what I can do.
Q: Is there one person in your life that’s most proud of you?
I would definitely have to say my mother because she has been through so much in her life, and so have I, and I know that by her seeing me make my dreams come true, it makes her so proud. I’m just so thankful to have her as my mother, and I know, you know, if she was here with me, she’d be so excited.
Q: Who is your role-model in modeling?
My role model? Oh, my gosh! There are so many. Of course, I’d have to say Tyra. I really look up to her, you know. She’s an amazing woman. She models and now she has her TV show—she has two TV shows. I really, oh, my gosh! There are so many. Giselle, Kate Moss. I love them all. Adrianna. I mean, I look up to a lot of girls; they all have different things about them that I like and that I admire, and I want to try to put in towards my career.
Q: Do you have a favorite designer you’d love to work for in the future?
Favorite designer, hmmm. You know, I really like Chloe. I like a lot! I want to work for everybody. I want to do everything. I don’t want to limit myself to just something. I mean, there are tons of things that I’d love to do.
Q: Other than modeling, are you interested in being in TV and doing movies, acting, and singing? What’s in store for you?
Most of all, I can’t sing, so singing is definitely out of the question, but most definitely I want to act! I definitely want to do commercials. I’d love to do a Victoria’s Secret commercial, like that is so cool to me, and hopefully one day I can do it. Maybe one day I’ll be on a theater screen, so I definitely want to target that.
Q: There’s been some buzz about maybe there was something going on that you had previous experience. Can you just set the record straight and tell us what was your experience modeling or acting before the show?
I mean, I’ve had prior, you know, little modeling gigs that I’ve done. They were nothing like extremely big; they were just sort of little modeling gigs in LA. I’ve done a couple runways shows out in LA, some during Fashion Week in LA, and that’s pretty much it.
Q: They were saying that you were actually on The Tyra Show as a model in a runway shoot or something like that. Is there any truth to that?
Um, yeah. I did do a runway show on The Tyra Show. I did.
Q: Do you feel like that those experiences helped you in the competition?
I mean, I do believe that it does help me a little bit, but I don’t feel that it affects what the judges think. I mean, I don’t think it’s doing anything.
Q: If you weren’t the winner of the competition, who do you think should have won the competition?
I would probably say Chantal because I really think she is a great girl, and she wanted it just as bad as I did, and she worked hard for it. She had a great personality, and she would be a great role-model, and I would want my little sisters to look up to her, as well. So, I would say her.
Q: Speaking of role models, what makes you a great role-model for young girls?
What makes me a great role-model is that I’ve gone through things that every little girl will probably go through—just trying to find herself and just trying to feel loved and just trying to know what’s your purpose in life. I have, you know, three younger sisters, and they look up to me daily, and they always need me to be there for them. Every little girl needs a sister, no matter if it’s a real sister, a Big Sister, a play sister, someone you can talk to and just be there for them. I think that I can be a great role model and just help young girls out. You know, I’m a great, great listener. I’m just there, and I can show young girls what I’ve been through and how it’s okay to be scared but you can still overcome that fear. It doesn’t matter how insecure you are, one day you’ll look inside yourself, and you’ll realize that you’re a beautiful person. You can be that confident girl who is on the runway. You don’t have to hate yourself because you’re not.
Q: If you could give advice to girls who want to be America’s Next Top Model, what would the best advice be?
My best advice would be, you know, to go after it. Don’t justt sit and wait for it to come to you. Go out there. If you want to be on Top Model, go audition for it. Get pictures. Just really fight for it. To get where you want to be in life, you have to fight hard for it, and nothing comes easy in life. It will be a struggle, but at the end of the day, it will be worth it. So, I just say fight hard. Go conquer your dreams, and never give up.
Q: You worked with so many top professionals in the industry—from the stylists to the designers. Who would you say inspired you the most throughout this whole experience?
Wow, I mean, just the whole competition day-by-day kept me motivated and inspired me because it’s just so real. Every day you’re having these great photo-shoots, and challenges, and you’re meeting these great photographers, and the wardrobe is amazing. So, I wouldn’t say a particular person or designer or anything, I would just say the overall show. It kept me . . . it was an adrenaline rush. It kept me just wanting to keep striving and fighting hard for it.
Q: Was it difficult, despite all the drama, and I know that you kind of bumped heads with Bianca a few times, what helped you keep your focus?
You know, no matter what, even though I had a little confrontation with her, I realized that it was a competition and just to focus on the competition and not personal relationships, you know. We did overcome that, and we became great friends, but I didn’t want to get too involved and go do that again, so I focus on more of the competition, instead of the girls.
Q: What do you feel is your biggest strength?
My biggest strength would have to be my, oh, my gosh, not just my confidence but just my strength that I have. It takes so much for me to want to give up, and I will keep going, and going, and going until my head is cut off. I will never give up. Like I try hard at everything, and I think that’s what helped me through the show because even though if I was doing bad one week, I didn’t let that stop me. I was like, “All right. That’s okay.” People make mistakes. They have a bad week. Just get up, keep going, and think positive about the next one, and you’ll do better.
Q: Speaking of self-esteem, what message would you like to portray or send to young girls—I have an 11 year-old—who struggle with self-esteem issues, you know, eating disorders—things where they just don’t feel real good about themselves. What message would you like to send to them?
I would definitely say I believe that everyone should surround theirself with positive people and people that you can talk to because if you could have someone there to comfort you, and you can share these feelings that you have, it makes it so much easier. For me, I didn’t share it with anybody, so I balled it all up. But, if you could express yourself and have someone there to talk to you with, it’s such a burden off your shoulder, and it makes it so much better. So, I would definitely say surround with positive people and talk. Don’t hold it in because holding it in makes you more angry, and if you do have an eating disorder, it makes you want to keep doing that and not try to work it out. So, definitely just positive people and talk about it.
Q: As a fellow Californian, do you intend to stay in California, or are you looking at relocating possibly to New York?
I do intend to stay in California right now. I just feel that right now is better for me to work in California and maybe come to New York, you know, and work out here—maybe direct bookings or something. Right now I feel that it’s better for me to try and work out in LA for a little bit.
Q: Which one of your shoots would you say just gave you that “I’ve got this!” feeling—where you just knew you had the competition sealed?
I would definitely say where we had to stand out in the little Chinese parade with the Nigel Barker shoot with Nigel. I just felt I walked onto that set feeling like a new woman. I was so confident. I was so ready to get behind that camera. I didn’t let the fact that Nigel was the photographer like freak me out. I just gave it my all. After that point, I knew that I was okay in the competition. I didn’t have any worries. Like I was fine.
Q: What was your favorite photo-shoot out of your time there?
My favorite photo-shoot would be the photo-shoot with Nigel. It was standing out in the crowd. I was really confident on that shoot, and I really felt good, and my wardrobe was amazing. Nigel is a great photographer, and I just went in there, and I gave it my all, and just stayed confident, and I didn’t like freak-out or anything. And in result, I got a great picture.
Q: We’ve seen you for, what, 13 weeks now, and saw lots of aspects of your personality. What aspects of your personality do you think of yours still may not know about you?
I showed myself on the show. I’m a very outgoing girl. I have a very girly personality. I just love to have fun, and I showed that on the show. I really wanted to show who I was because I don’t want people to get the wrong impression of me or not see who I am. So, I really think the viewers got a great side of me. I’m a very compassionate person, and I’m super-kindhearted. I will give my heart to anyone, so other than that, I really do think they saw the true me.
Q: You mentioned before about having to deal with some of the negativity that’s out there. Can you talk more about that, and what sort of negative things have you had to deal with while being part of America’s Next Top Model? Also, I was curious as to your reaction to—I don’t know if you’ve seen many of the websites or whatever, but a lot of them seem to be trying to raise the question of whether this was rigged. What’s your reaction to that?
Honestly, I feel that everything was done fair and square, you know. There is more than one judge, and I really think that every judge has their own opinion on the show, and if they didn’t feel that I didn’t deserve to be America’s Next Top Model, then I wouldn’t. I did work hard to earn this, and I feel that I deserve it. I don’t think that it’s unfair or anything because I felt that I was chosen fairly, like every other girl, to be on the show.
Q: Congratulations on your win. We was kind of worried there for a minute when you got that hairdo. We was like, “Oh, my God! It looks like a mushroom!” [Saliesha laughs] But, now, it just fits because you rocked it. You’re the only girl on that show where the haircut stayed the entire time. You know, it just moved, and it looks great, now. I got used to it.
I got used to it as well, and I love it now. It’s such an edgy look for me.
Q: Yeah, it’s longer. I saw you on the Channel 11 News, and it looks like it’s a little bit longer, now.
Yeah, it is a little bit longer. I did have it a little bit longer, but it still looks the same. I love it. It’s so cute, and it’s edgy, and it’s me now. This is who I am!
Q: You have a nice name. It’s unusual. Is there a story behind your name?
No, there’s not really a story. My father named me, and he wanted to have a different name for me, so he named me Saleisha, and that’s pretty much it. I never really asked him if there is anything to it, but all I know is this is what he wanted me to be named. [laughs]
Q: I thought maybe it was a combination of your mom name, your father name.
No, I don’t think so! [laughs]
I’m so glad this show it was no boyfriend drama on there. Do you have a boyfriend?
[laughs] I don’t talk about my personal life. I don’t want to put that out there yet.
Q: ‘Cause sometimes a boyfriend thing interferes with the girls going forward in their career, so that’s the only reason I asked.
Yeah, that’s just something I don’t ever want a guy to interfere with my career. That’s just something I feel about myself, and I don’t want to put that drama onto a show, you know, so I left it outside.
Q: It seemed like some of the girls they were kind of pressing each others’ buttons to get them upset. We saw an unusual amount of the bickering. Do you think that was a strategy just to get the girls upset enough so they would do bad at a shoot and then be eliminated?
I’m not sure what every girl was feeling or if that was their strategy. I mean, we were all away from home and our friends and family, so that alone gives a lot of stress. You know, it gives you a little pinch. It makes you agitated a little bit, but I don’t know what the girls were using and if that could have been the cause or not.
Q: Were you a fan of this show before you got on the show?
I was! I absolutely was. I watched all the cycles. I never thought that I would be on the show. I was just watching and I’d be like, “Wow, I could do that!” Then, it’s totally a different story when you’re on this show. [laughs]
Q: Please make us a top supermodel ‘cause we haven’t seen one, yet. Everybody just seems to drift off during the year. . . .
I will! I will make everyone proud!
SV: You won a challenge, and the reward was the opportunity to participate in a Paris fashion show. Has that happened, or when will that happen?
It will be happening. It will be happening in 2008, and I will be flying out to Paris to do Colleen Quen’s launch of her fashion show.
SV: Do you feel more comfortable as a commercial model or as a high fashion model?
I mean, I’m very comfortable in commercial just because of my personality, but now like from being on the show, I’m very comfortable doing high fashion. Like, I’ve learned so much from the show, so I really feel that I’m comfortable with both of them now.
SV: You were also involved in an incident where you didn’t want to share a bed with Heather. Could you give us your take on that? We’ve heard everyone else’s. [laughs]
[Laughs] It was just the show was almost over. I wanted a bed by myself. It wasn’t anything against Heather because I adored Heather. I just wanted the big bed. That’s all. The situation was handled better. You know, Jenah and Bianca decided to share, and they gave Heather and I our own beds. So, you know, it ended up great.
SV: With your previous connection with Tyra, do you feel the judges were harder on you as a result?
I do feel that maybe they were a little hard on me, but I do feel that I was judged equally and fairly like every other girl. I really don’t think any connection from T-Zone or The Tyra Show had anything to do with my critiques or judging.
SV: Was this something the other girls were even aware of, or was it even an issue during the show?
Yeah, the girls knew, but it wasn’t something I wanted to use on the show because I don’t feel it had anything to do with how I was going to be judged or my position on the show?
SV: Who were you closest to in the house?
In the house, I was definitely close with Chantal and Lisa, and Janet was my workout buddy, so I got along with pretty much all the girls! I adored Ebony. Me and her would talk all the time.
SV: Would you encourage other aspiring models to try out for this show?
I definitely would! It’s a great opportunity to do in your life. Just if it’s something you want, you have to be strong because it’s very stressful. It’s a very stressful process, but if this something you dream about and you want this, then I would definitely say go after it.
Note: Saleisha doesn’t currently have a place where fans can contact her, so any fan mail can be directed to THE CW, noted with America’s Next Top Model and Saleisha’s name.
Many thanks to THE CW and Saleisha for this interview opportunity!
Photo Credit: THE CW
Originally Posted by sleepybum;2722786; 
