‘America’s Next Top Model’: Alasia says Andre Leon Talley ‘saved my tail’

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The last woman to leave “America’s Next Top Model” was really just a girl still in high school. The audience watched Alasia grow on the show from the teenager who literally flipped her wig in the premiere episode to the woman who dressed more like a model and walked away with Andre Leon Talley’s admiration.

We spoke to the student from Marietta, Ga., about her challenges on the show, her relationships and who she thinks will be “America’s Next Top Model.”

What was going on when you literally flipped your wig and fell to the ground when you first saw Tyra?
It’s different seeing someone on TV and seeing someone in person. Tyra just has this glow about her. She’s beautiful, but on the inside too. You don’t even have to talk to her to see that. You can literally look at her and tell that she’s a good person. She has this angelic glow. It was breathtaking. I didn’t even think I was going to react like that. That was from the heart, though. That was amazing.

Why do you think Andre Leon Talley took a liking to you?
I think he saw a genuine person. I don’t know every model out there, but I think sometimes pretty girls can get full of themselves. You know, I’m pretty, you’re not important. Like, who are you? Even though they’re not anybody. I think he saw that I wasn’t like that. And the fact that I was so young, maybe. I really don’t know why he took a liking to me like that. But it feels good to know that someone of his stature even acknowledged me. Andre Leon Talley told me I have potential, and no one can take that away from me.
Well, at least once you were in the bottom two and Andre saved you.
I’m not even going to front. He did. He saved my tail. He snatched me out of that so fast, because they were about to send me home. If he hadn’t had done that, I would have gone home. I wouldn’t have made it as far.

Earlier on you won a couple of challenges, but then you started to have a hard time as the competition progressed. What was going on with you?
I hate to admit this. First of all, I’m 18, and that was the first time being away from home where I didn’t get to talk to my mom. I couldn’t go outside. I couldn’t be on the Internet, watch TV, read like I like to. I couldn’t sit there and read or I would get in trouble. They took me completely away from the norm. That’s a lot of stress coming from a lot of different places. And nobody really knows this, because I don’t want people to think I’m making an excuse, but I was sick the whole time I was there. You know how your body feels when you have a cold? You just feel tired and stuffy and weak. I felt like that the whole time. The hours were crazy, and when you’re sick you just need to lie in a bed and sleep. I couldn’t really do that. I wasn’t really able to eat the way I wanted to. I didn’t have time to sit there and make a meal that would help me get better. That’s all part of it, you know. I tried my best.

How did it feel to leave the country for the first time and then find yourself in New Zealand?
Oh my gosh. I have to agree with Tyra when she said a lot of young girls see New Zealand as a fairy-tale land. That is so true. It was beautiful. I mean it was so lovely, so lush and green. You can see sheep and cows. And it was so clean. Imagine coming from New York, no offense to anyone coming from New York, but New York is filthy. Now imagine going from New York to this place. Me, I literally didn’t see any garbage or litter on the ground. And the people were so nice.

Throughout the season, the girls complained about you being late. Then, in the go-see challenge, you were eliminated for being late. Did you learn from that?
Oh, definitely [laughs]. Time is money. Either you are going to be on time or you’re not going to get no money. You know what I’m saying? You’re not going to have a job. I knew that before, but it didn’t really stick until after that. You know, I’m thinking they’re going to let it go. I went to all of the go-sees, so I’m thinking they’re maybe going to let it slide. I mean literally, I couldn’t even get feedback. So I have no idea what those people thought about me. I feel like I really need it. I need to know what I can improve on, and I didn’t even get that. It was like a scolding. After that, I was like, well, it is what it is. A lesson earned is a lesson learned.

When I talked to Anslee, she told me that you don’t know who you are and you don’t know what you want to be.
Anslee does not know me. You see my problem, not saying I have an issue with her, like I don’t like her, I love her, but I would not choose to be around her. Anslee, because she’s married with a baby, she thinks she knows everything. At 18, what were you doing? Not to sound rude or anything, but I’m trying to do something with my life at 18 years old. She’s only 23. She barely knows herself. She’s a child in my mother’s eyes. Now, if my mother or someone in my mother’s age range were to say that to me, I would be like, dang, they’re telling the truth. But Anslee doesn’t know me enough to say whether I know myself or not. I know myself pretty well to be 18 years old.

So, who are your top three in the competition?
First and foremost, at the top is Angelea. I love Angelea. That is my girl. Out of everyone, she was the first to take me in and she tried to be like a big sister. She was just there for me. I feel like she could do that with other girls. She can teach girls my age and younger something about life. Period. I can call her and talk to her about anything. She’ll give me some legitimate advice. Um, second would be Alex. She is really cool. Alex is gorgeous. Alex is just really mellow. She’s cool. And my final would be Krista. I feel like she has a story to tell too. But, I understand her, but she’s a bully. If somebody would let her bully them, then she would bully them. It’s not like I don’t love her, but she’s a bully. That, I don’t agree with, but I think she also has something to say that’s legitimate. She could give legitimate advice if she liked you [laughs]. If she likes you, she’ll talk to you. If she doesn’t, she’ll probably talk about you. That’s just Krista.

-- Jethro Nededog (follow me on Twitter @TheRealJethro)

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