It was just like “America’s Next Top Model” — but without the drama.
That’s how a laughing Corey Tang described the hair, makeup and clothes-fitting session, followed by the big-time GapKids photo shoot that her daughter, Miara, experienced recently in a San Francisco, Calif., studio.
Starting today, people can vote for 10-year-old Miara from Kenmore or four other girls finalists through Dec. 20 to see which child will be featured in Gap store windows nationwide and receive a $1,000 Gap GiftCard.
People can vote for the Gap’s 2010 Casting Call Contest girls winner (and three others in boys and girls GapKids and babyGap divisions) at the Gap’s Web site or through the Casting Call iPhone application.
“I think she kind of has that GapKids kind of look: real kids, obviously cute,” Corey said. “She goes out and plays, and isn’t afraid to run and get her hands dirty in life. In the gym, she’s always running and jumping, and definitely puts her clothes through a lot. They’re well-made and hold up — they’re not made for sitting in front of the television.”
Added Miara: “I really enjoy it when I go into the store, buy the clothes and wear them to school.”
Mom admits that she was tentative about the highbrow atmosphere that often surrounds a Tyra Banks-type photo shoot, but none of that was present with the Gap group.
“The clothes — they were really good and I love the outfit. It’s child-appropriate: fun and energetic,” Corey noted about Miara’s grey suede boots, bright orange- and white-striped leggings, jean shorts and hoodie. Her nails were also painted bright orange and she held an orange camera to complete her artistic look.
Miara, a talented gymnast with Cascade Elite, added: “It was really cool to learn what it was like to have your hair and makeup done on a photo shoot. I was a little afraid, but I think the photos turned out pretty good.”
It’s been a long time coming for Corey to see one of her two children make the Gap contest cut. She noted that the family has shopped at the Gap since her kids were babies and they submitted a photo of Miara every year since she was 2 years old, “just for giggles,” Corey said. Fittingly for Miara, age 10 is the last year a child can enter the contest — and she’s in.
“We’ve been told she’s the first Washington child to make the finals. She was excited — all of us didn’t believe it at first; she would love to see a big poster of her in the malls,” Corey said.
Miara would also be thrilled to nail some big scores during her gymnastics competitions. She practices 20 hours a week at Cascade Elite in Mountlake Terrace and aspires to perform in the Olympics someday.
“Her personality is all wrapped up in the gym,” Corey said.
“My favorite (event) is the uneven bars because I’m sort of like a monkey when I’m on the bars,” added Miara, a Kenmore Elementary fifth-grader. “It’s my easiest event. It took a while to get good at it — I took private lessons.”
On her toughest event — the balance beam — Miara noted that it takes a lot of focus to master her moves on the 4.10-foot-high, 16-foot-long, 3.96-inch-wide apparatus.
“A lot of the people get scared. You sort of have to be strong and confident to do flips on it,” she said.
Miara also got some traveling under her belt in October on the four-day trip to San Francisco with her mother, father and brother. Favorite activities were seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, a boat tour of the bay and a limo-guided city tour, which included a trip down the famed twisty Lombard Street.
• People can cast their votes in the Gap contest once a day every day, and with each vote cast will be entered to win the Voter’s Sweepstakes — a $1,000 Gap GiftCard.
In all, the contest — with finalists chosen from a pool of more than one million children nationwide — features 20 finalists.
