JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Thanks to votes from friends, family, and the community, Essence Sugar, 29, from Jacksonville, made “Top 10″ during Torrid’s largest-ever casting call campaign. Torrid, an American women’s retail chain, is seeking its next model for future campaigns.
Essence told News4JAX that by making “Top 10,” the company paid for her trip to Los Angeles where she took part in a photoshoot.
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“Torrid paid for the trip and took the absolute best care of us!” Essence told News4JAX. “They flew us out, provided amazing gifts, hosted a shopping suite at the hotel, meetings with agency reps, a photoshoot with Candice Huffine there to guide us, and we also got gift bags from Milk since we filmed at Milk Studios!”
The grand prize winner of the Torrid 2024 Casting Call will be announced on Sept. 4 and featured in a 2025 campaign photoshoot. They will also receive a $2,000 cash prize, a full year’s wardrobe from Torrid (valued at $15,000), and an opportunity to be signed with a global talent management agency.
Earlier this year, Essence stood out from more than 11,000 applicants across the United States and Canada to secure a top 30 spot. Individuals were encouraged to vote on their favorite entrants from July 31 through Aug. 7. Those who received the most votes became top 10 finalists.
“The selected 10 women, to be announced on Aug. 14, will get to partake in an exclusive modeling “boot camp” in Los Angeles, featuring a mentorship session with professional model Candice Huffine, and LA-based Influencer and CEO of Mujeres Social Digital Talent Agency, Kristal Heredia, along with photoshoots, digital content creation workshops, and more, to get hands-on experience and an inside look at the modeling industry,” according to a release.