Pitched battle to be faces of

By: streames Mood: Date: 09/01/2010 10:25:57 Music: None

Byline: Linda Summerhayes

GIGGLING and posturing, they queued outside Tynecastle, waiting for their chance to show off their special catwalk moves.

"Beautiful, beautiful," croons Karina Goldberg as she surveys the crowd. "We have had over 100 applications in total and some of them are stunning."

The glamorous Lithuanian has been overseeing the competition to find the male and female faces for the stylish sports fashion brand RRevolution at Hearts FC.

It is a serious business and Karina, who is brand and retail manager for the football club, begins the evening of auditions in a whirlwind of nervous excitement, chattering on her Prada phone and lapsing into her native Russian to make sure her assistants know exactly what they should be doing.

And it is not just Karina who is excited. The tension among the young hopefuls who are all prepared to strut their stuff is palpable.

Also casting an expert eye around the room of sucked-in cheeks, plumped lips and carefully coifed, ruler-straight hair, is former leading model Angie Locke, who runs the Edinburgh model agency Stolen.

Dressed in a blue denim shirt and calf-length boots, she is the epitome of calm and is most certainly a woman who knows what she is looking for.

"We need to see them without make-up," she says. "It can be really hard to see past that."

To the horror of the girls who have spent hours applying layers of colour, the wet wipes are handed out. Behind the scenes, in the interview room, Angie draws a line on the wall, 5ft 7in from the floor - the minimum height a girl needs to be to become a model.

There are a surprising number of men who have entered the competition, pushed forward by their love of Hearts or by their eager girlfriends.

But some are more confident than others. The first male model who shambles to the table, gangly and nervous, quietly announces that his desire to be the face of RRevolution is fuelled by the challenge that it would present.

In his wake comes 22-year-old Lindsay Patterson, who flashes the panel of three judges with a devastating smile as she confidently strides into the room.

Lindsay has already participated in several fashion shows, including one in the Capital for the children's cancer charity Clic Sergeant, which raised GBP 20,000.

"She's good, really good," purrs Karina, with a nod and a smile.

"A bit short . . ." adds Angie with a shrug. "But has a lovely face. Put her through to the next round."

Height is important if Angie is going to try to sell a model in the fashion scene. "You need someone who's an all-rounder, more value for money," she says. "But I don't want to be seen as the Simon Cowell of the group."

When Lindsay returns from the bathroom after being asked to take off her make-up, she looks younger. "That's a nice fresh look," remarks Angie with a nod.

Next in line is Allanah Duncan, a 20-year-old pharmaceutical company worker who tells us she loves skiing and is married to her childhood sweetheart. But would she be prepared to model a bikini or skimpy underwear in front of 500 people?

"Fine," says Allanah, unflinching. "I'm really confident with my body."

As Allanah does her catw
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