#FaceofFashionEyewear winner chosen
Contestants were judged on how they used social media to promote themselves and influence votes.
Twenty-four-year-old Geluksdal resident Gabriella Ashley Pillay was recently named the winner of the first ever eyewear model search by Dynamic Vision Optometrists.
The 2019 #FaceFashionofEyewear competition, which ran from October 2018 to February 2019, sought to unearth an authentic South African personality with a flair for fashion, a strong social media presence and a face fit for modelling top international eyewear brands to South Africans.
The judging was based on three criteria, namely public votes, online presence and social influence, and a panel of judges that evaluated look, style and suitability. Over 500 entries were received and the judges had the tough task whittling them down to 40 semi-finalists.
At this stage, the judges started to look at the number of votes each semi-finalist had received, as well as the way in which they had garnered the votes.
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The judges looked at the use of the #FaceofFashionEyewear hashtag and Dynamic Vision tags on social media.
Contestants were judged on how they used social media to promote themselves and influence votes.
From there, entries were narrowed down to the top 10, who all deserved to be there.
The judges then looked at the quality and relevance of content.
Gabriella won an exciting prize package worth over R95 000.
“I entered #FaceofFashionEyewear model search competition because I have first-hand experience of the importance of one’s vision, eyes and getting eye care in general,” said Gabriella.
“As a young girl, I witnessed the pain my late mother went through from complaining about how painful her eyes were, as well as the headaches that came along with the struggle, to a point where she eventually lost her vision in one eye.
“That obviously put more strain on the other eye and later led to blurred vision.”
Gabriella remembers coming across a newspaper article about an optician in Brakpan who helped the needy with affordable eye care.
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“I showed my mother the article and without any hesitation, we called and booked the next available appointment,” she said.
“A week later she got her eyes tested and chose a beautiful frame.
“I’ve never seen my mother so happy.
“It was overwhelming because completely losing her vision was one of our biggest fears.
Gabriella saw the competition on social media and decided to give it a try.
“Firstly, I love eyewear, I love fashion and I love modelling,” she said.
The competition also reminded her of her mother.
“It also gave me the opportunity to educate my fellow social media friends and make them aware of the importance of keeping your eyes healthy,” she said.
“I gained more knowledge along the journey.”
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