'Real Housewife' Cynthia Bailey brings model search to Birmingham

Cynthia-Bailey-0330-11.jpgCynthia Bailey is an Alabama native. (AP Images for Bravo/Charles Cherney)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Model and Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta" reality star Cynthia Bailey has Alabama on her mind.

Next weekend, she will launch her national model search at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel downtown. After that, the model search will be done in New Orleans, Jackson, Miss., Nashville, Charlotte and Atlanta. One winner will receive representation with a New York modeling agency and more.

Kicking off the model search in Alabama makes sense to Bailey, who described herself as "definitely a Roll Tide-kind-of girl." She was born in Decatur, grew up in the Shoals, went to high school in Tuscumbia and took freshman courses at UAH before starting her modeling career nearly 25 years ago. She currently runs the Bailey Agency School of Fashion in Atlanta.

“Alabama is near and dear to my heart, so that’s a state that I definitely wanted to make sure I included in my first, five-state tour,” she said.

She sees the model search, which is open to those 13 and up, as a way to give people exposure on how to get a modeling career off the ground.

CYNTHIA BAILEY
MODEL SEARCH
AND WORKSHOPS

Where:

Sheraton Birmingham Hotel, 2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North

When:

Model call on Saturday; model workshops on Jan. 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Price: $25 for Saturday and $199 for Jan. 22

More info:

404-622-1791 or

Twitter:

What contestants should bring for Saturday's competition:

Women: a pair of high heels to walk in; wear a pair of skinny jeans or leggings and a tank top so judges can see what your body looks like; no jewelry; keep makeup and hair very simple. Men: jeans and a white T-shirt. Both: a headshot and full body shot; snacks; for overall appearance, think the clean look of Gap ads

What to bring for the Jan. 22 workshops:

Pens and paper

Although the judges would love to see young models who are 5’9 and taller, Bailey said they are looking for people of all types, heights and ages who can get work as a model.

“If she’s 45, 50 and she looks great and she meets the criteria and she’s gorgeous and she looks like a model, then she’s someone we would consider because there is a very big market also for older women, older people,” she said. “The game has changed. I definitely would encourage women or men in that age group to come as well.”

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., men and women can try out for the model search, which will be judged by industry experts such as Bailey, Rickey Smiley Morning Show radio personality Ebony Steele, booking agents and photographers. Registration is $25.

Five finalists will be selected from each state. All finalists will compete in Atlanta, which will likely be recorded for a future “RHOA” episode. Camera crews will not be in Birmingham.

On Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., celebrity photographer Derek Blanks, Atlanta hairstylist and reality show star Derek J, Oprah Winfrey makeup artist Reggie Wells and others will lead workshops about the fashion and model industry. Bailey is scheduled to speak at 1:15 p.m. Registration is $199.

When the new season of “RHOA” started in the fall, it showed Bailey opening her new fashion agency. News of the agency spread and Bailey started receiving calls from across the globe. People wanted to know when the agency would do model searches in their town. Bailey was shocked by the response and later decided to do a national model search. Since the agency is in the South, she decided to start here. She plans to do other searches in the future.

She said if contestants don’t win in the search, they can still check out her agency for modeling classes and learn about the industry. “I’m just getting them to the door. It’s their job to kick it open,” she said.

Also new for Bailey is living out her new marriage on television. The last few episodes have shown some challenging times in her marriage to Peter Thomas. Recently, Bailey said she believes in her marriage and that she and Peter are committed to making it work.

Thomas’ production company, Peter Thomas Entertainment, is helping put on the model searches. Also, Thomas will be in Birmingham next weekend.

“We are very much a team. He’s my No. 1 fan, No. 1 supporter,” she said.

She said viewers will have to continue to watch to see what will happen.

Asked if any of her “RHOA” castmates will attend the Birmingham model search, she said that NeNe Leakes has been invited but she did not know if she’d make it. (The show airs Sundays at 8 p.m. CST.)

The marriage and the agency aren’t the only things fans want to know more about in Bailey’s life. They also want to know if she ever got that chair put together for her office after she, her sister and sister’s fiancee failed to do it on television. “We never knew the chair would take on a life of its own,” Bailey said, laughing. “We did get the chair fixed and we sit in it every day at the Bailey Agency.”

Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email Temple at ctemple@bhamnews.com.

Model and “Real Housewives of Atlanta” reality star Cynthia Bailey will kick off her national model search in Birmingham next weekend. Bailey was born in Decatur and grew up in the Shoals.