America's Next Top Model, Cycle 15

America's Next Top Model, Cycle 15 is the fifteenth cycle of America's Next Top Model and the ninth season to be aired on The CW network. It premiered on September 8, 2010.

Several changes were made to the show in a bid to place greater emphasis on high fashion, including a lineup of prominent fashion industry guest judges as well as a change in prizes. The winner received a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl Cosmetics, a contract with IMG Models, the cover of Beauty In Vogue, fashion spreads in Vogue Italia and Beauty In Vogue, as well as a prominent feature on Vogue Italia's website, Vogue.it. IMG will replace Wilhelmina Models as the model representation agency, and Vogue will replace Seventeen as the magazine publisher.

All three permanent judges from the previous cycle – Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley, photographer Nigel Barker and Tyra Banks herself – remain.

The international destinations for this cycle are Venice and Milan, Italy, making this the third time the show has travelled to Italy, and the second time it has travelled to Milan (Cycle 2); Rome was visited in Cycle 10.

The winner was 19-year-old Ann Ward from Dallas, Texas.

Episode summaries
Starting from this season, the guest judge name of the episode was aired and is included in the title. It replaces titles with quotes from contestants and cast.

Welcome to High Fashion
First Air Date: September 8, 2010

32 semi-finalists arrived in Los Angeles, California to begin the fifteenth cycle. Contestants included sisters Chris and Terra – the first sibling contestants since Amanda and Michelle (Cycle 7), Kacey (Cycle 11), and Vanessa Johnston, Miss Minnesota Teen USA 2009. They met Mr. & Ms. J in Palm Springs; later, they met Tyra.

Their first challenge was a runway walk modeling clothes from Cynthia Rowley. The girls were split into categories as defined by the fashion industry – "quirky", "sexy", "strong bone structure", "browns", "blonds" and "brunettes" – and were tasked to stand out from their competition. Tensions rose when Kacey instigated Lexie to verbalize Jordan's supposed lack of desire for the competition, when it was in fact, just a misunderstanding, causing Lexie to be deemed as malicious by some of the girls. Also, Emily was questionably accused of being a racist. Later, the interviews commenced, and the group was pared down to 20 who moved on to a Cynthia Rowley party where they were paired up for a photo shoot.

Later that night, the final 14 girls were chosen.


 * Special guest: Cynthia Rowley

Diane von Furstenberg
First Air Date: September 15, 2010

The chosen 14 girls arrived at Venice Beach, California, where they met Venice Beach icon Harry Perry, who passed them the keys to their new loft. Amongst the first few conversations in the house, Ann's awkwardness raised eyebrows, Anamaria admitted to taking a carbohydrate-restricted diet in order to remain thin, and Kayla revealed she was a lesbian.

Afterwards, they were taken to the Hollywood and Highland Center, and were tasked to walk in a Diane von Furstenberg runway that is hoisted 4 storeys in the air; they also had to do their own hair and makeup. Kacey faced some trouble when she was unable to see the end of the runway because of her myopia, but put on a strong performance nevertheless; and Anamaria fell on her way backstage.

This week's photo shoot takes place at Smashbox Studios, themed on "Teen Bullying". Tyra and actress Demi Lovato dropped by at the shoot to offer advice and raise awareness. Each girl was drawn with a word that hurt her the most as a victim of bullying, as well as a "power word" that made her overcome it. At the photo shoot, Ann, Kayla and Chelsey were lauded for their performance, whilst Sara and Terra were criticized for looking plain and nervous respectively. Anamaria on the other hand was castigated for her overt thinness showing on film, which she ignored.

At panel, Diane von Fürstenberg sat in as the guest judge. Ann, Kayla, Chelsey and Lexie's pictures received universal praise, and while Kendal's photo was deemed as not doing justice to her beauty, Diane would still hire her in an instant. In the end, Anamaria's thinness landed her in the bottom two and was subsequently eliminated for the same reason.


 * First call-out: Ann Ward
 * Bottom two: Anamaria Mirdita & Terra White
 * Eliminated: Anamaria Mirdita
 * Featured photographer: Deborah Anderson
 * Special guests: Demi Lovato, Diane von Fürstenberg, Harry Perry, Isaac Prado, Anita Patrickson, Marky Andrews, Damien Carney

Patricia Field
First air date: September 22, 2010

Tyra dropped by at the house and informed the girls that they would receive makeovers. Tyra also giving some clues for the girls and which makeovers they will have, such as: Kayla will be given a new look that is fire like, Kendal will given "more sensuality and sexuality", Sara is getting darker than she is, both of Ann and Rhianna will given a look that make their edgy and quirky look more sophisticated, while Chris will given something that "flows her up".

Panic ran through the house when Liz found a list of fantasy makeovers created by Ann, Lexie and Rhianna and assumed the credulous makeovers as genuine. However, their excitement quickly faded when they are told that whoever performed the worst at the post-makeover shoot would be eliminated. A large majority of girls were satisfied by their new looks, except Liz and Terra, who were both averse to having a shorter hairstyle. Sara and Lexie struggled at the makeover shoot, but Terra was deemed the worst and was sent home.


 * Eliminated outside of panel: Terra White

This week's photo shoot took place on the beaches of Malibu, where the girls posed as fallen angels while evoking different kinds of emotions.

At panel, Patricia Field sat as the guest judge. A large majority of the photos receive mixed to negative critiques, with only Ann, Kayla, Chelsey and Chris photos standing out. Sara and Lexie landed in the bottom two for having the most unsatisfactory photos. Tyra cited Sara's inability to translate her beauty in photos (despite a drastic makeover) for her elimination.


 * First call-out: Ann Ward
 * Bottom two: Lexie Tomchek and Sara Blackamore
 * Eliminated: Sara Blackamore
 * Featured photographers: Keith Major (makeovers), Anne Menke (photoshoot)
 * Special guests: Patricia Field, Matthew Preece, Edgardo Falcon Jr., Ryan Stybel, Michael Kanyon, Marco Berardini

Matthew Rolston
First Air Date: September 29, 2010

Kacey invited the male models from the previous photo shoot over for dinner. The next day, the girls arrived at Knott's Berry Farm for their first reward challenge – they evoked an emotion while riding the park's, Silver Bullet roller coaster. Most of the girls struggled, most notably Chris, who was petrified by the ride. Liz was deemed the best and she won a feature on Tyra.com, photographed by Tyra herself. She chose Chris and Kayla to accompany her, and all three were surprised by a tea party with Tyra. Back at the house, the girls ganged up on Kacey because of the latter's inability to clean up her own kitchen mess and pretentious demeanor.

This week's photo shoot required the girls to portray underwater goddesses while modeling sea creatures, jewelry from Martin Katz, Neil Lane and Mikimoto. Jay was very impressed by Esther who brought emotion and her beauty to the shot, but very annoyed with Liz who kept complaining about her makeup sticking to her contact lenses. Rhianna was castigated because her "flower-child" posing style do not fit well with the concept of the shoot.

At panel, Ann's photo was j'adore. Kendal, Esther, Kacey, Chris, and Kayla also shone in their pictures. Lexie was cautioned not to rely on having profile shots. Rhianna's lack of versatility and Liz's constant complaining landed them in the bottom two. In the end, Tyra handed the last photo to Liz, sending Rhianna home.


 * First call-out: Ann Ward
 * Bottom two: Liz Williams and Rhianna Atwood
 * Eliminated: Rhianna Atwood
 * Featured photographer: Matthew Rolston
 * Special guests: Valente Frazier, Julie Matos, Troy Jensen, Michael Kanyon

Karolina Kurkova
First Air Date: October 6, 2010

Miss. J. led the girls into 2nd Street Tunnel in downtown Los Angeles where they were challenged to walk on a conveyor belt runway while wearing designs by Herve Leger. While a majority of the girls stumbled through the catwalk, Kacey was deemed the best, and was awarded Lisa Freede jewelry.

Andre and supermodel Karolína Kurková dropped by the house, and Karolina taught the girls about personality and watchful eating. Back at the house, Kacey again clashed with Lexie and Liz. This week's photo shoot had the girls pose with Lucha Libre wrestlers. At judging, Ann admitted that she struggled in her photo shoot, but the judges nevertheless loved her photograph, and she was called first for the fourth successive time. Jane landed in the bottom two for her apparent lack of presence, which the judges felt the kept her photos satisfactory, while Lexie was lambasted for her stifled posing, resulting in mediocre photos. Despite a vivacious personality, Lexie was sent home.


 * First call-out: Ann Ward
 * Bottom two: Jane Randall & Lexie Tomchek
 * Eliminated: Lexie Tomchek
 * Featured photographers: Eddie Brakha, Moshe Brakha ("Brakha Squared")
 * Special guests: Karolína Kurková, Robert Steinken, Sunnie Brook Jones, Charlie Altuna, Jany Stanley

Patrick Demarchelier
First Air Date: October 13, 2010

The girls were split into threes for a CoverGirl challenge at Walmart, where Esther, Kacey and Kayla had the overall best sales pitch; Kacey received the most votes from the public while Ann had the lowest. The trio won a shopping spree at Walmart's CoverGirl aisle, but Esther won an additional $1,000 Walmart gift card for having the best makeup look.

The girls went to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills for this week's photo shoot with photographer Patrick Demarchelier. They were joined by male models as they strutted down Rodeo Drive while posing in clothing hand-picked for them by fashion stylist Lori Goldstein. The shoot was divided in three parts - a group shot with a man, a moving shot and solo beauty shot (except Chris).

At panel, while Kendal and Jane received tremendous praise, but it was Ann, whose all three photos were again deemed the best, making a record of five consecutive first call-outs. Kayla's move in air (which she blamed on the discomfort caused by her undersized shoes) landed her in the bottom two, but it was Kacey, despite being deemed by the judges as having a great runway walk and spokesperson ability, who was eliminated for her lackluster photos.


 * First call-out: Ann Ward
 * Bottom two: Kacey Leggett & Kayla Ferrell
 * Eliminated: Kacey Leggett
 * Featured photographer: Patrick Demarchelier
 * Special guests: Lori Goldstein, Derek Blasberg, Molly Stern

Francesco Carrozzini
First Air Date: October 20, 2010

The girls arrived at The Grammy Museum, where they meet Neil Portnow, CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. They split into pairs and were tasked to create a Grammy-worthy look for their partner. Ann gave Chelsey a severely oversized dress, much to the latter's chagrin, whilst Kendal's dress for Chris was likened to that from a strip, and Kayla went against Liz' desire for a fancy gown and instead got her sequined pants. Nonetheless, Mr. Jay deemed Kayla and Liz the best and they won the challenge, but Neil ultimately picked Kayla to win the reward of being a presenter at the 53rd Grammy Awards in February 2011.

This week's photo shoot required the girls to portray celebrated fashion designers, as shown below:

At panel, Liz' portrayal was deemed the best, thus breaking Ann's 5 consecutive first call-outs. Kendal's shoot was deemed weak, while Esther failed to bring enough masculinity in her portrayal of a man, and they both landed in the bottom two. Although the judges felt that Kendal had a more unique look for the industry, they also felt that she needed more experience and development, thus sending her home.


 * First call-out: Liz Williams
 * Bottom two: Esther Petrack & Kendal Brown
 * Eliminated: Kendal Brown
 * Featured photographer: Francesco Carrozzini
 * Special guests: Neil Portnow, Rushka Bergman, Amy Orseman, Johnny Stuntz

Zac Posen
First Air Date: October 27, 2010

Miss. J made a surprise visit at the house, where he brought along famed fashion designer Zac Posen. Zac informed the girls that they will be in his Fall 2010 Z-Spoke collection fashion show. The girls' professionalism were challenged when few of the working models they worked with constantly tried to break their confidence. After the show, it was revealed the their brutish demeanor that the other models had shown was an additional test. Chelsey was selected as the winner, and she won five looks from the collection.

Instead of a photo shoot, the girls were filming their first commercial for a fictitious H2T energy drink while riding roller skates with Nigel as their director. Most of the girls struggled – Ann's height caused her to fall numerous times while Kayla struggled being intimate with her male model because of a childhood sexual assault. Liz frustrated Nigel for failing to take the shoot seriously and laughing nervously whenever she stumbled.

At panel, Chris's confident performance won her a clear first call-out. All the other girls struggled to some degree, although Jane and Chelsey are told they improved as the shoot went on. Ann and Esther's were deemed the worst, but Ann was saved on the sheer strength of her photos, eliminating Esther.


 * First call-out: Chris White
 * Bottom two: Ann Ward & Esther Petrack
 * Eliminated: Esther Petrack
 * Featured commercial director: Nigel Barker
 * Special guests: Zac Posen, Johnny Stuntz, Joanna Konjevod

Margherita Missoni
First Air Date: November 3, 2010

Miss J. brought the girls cycling to Venice, California, where they met Tyra sitting on a gondola. Tyra informed them that they would be traveling to Venice, Italy.

This week’s photo shoot took place in the Grand Canal, with the girls posing in period couture gowns while lounging on a gondola in teams of 3 – Chris, Kayla and Liz in Group 1; Ann, Chelsey and Jane in Group 2. Ann struggled to find her sexiness, while Chris and Liz struggled with numerous awkward actions and scenes. After the shoot was prematurely ended because of the rain, Jay announced that the girls would be headed to Milan for the rest of the competition. The girls were surprised about how their house was not as lavish as per previous seasons. Tyra arrived and explained that this was done intentionally to give the girls a taste of how new models actually lived.

The next day, the girls visited the Missoni Fashion House and walked for CEO Angela Missoni as well as her daughter and heiress to the fashion line, Margherita, in their Fall collection.

At judging, Chelsey and Liz nearly passed out due to the Italian summer heat, prompting Tyra to conduct the photo evaluations while sitting down. Kayla received universal praise,Jane received praise for pushing through even with the hair in her face, while the rest all received mixed reviews. Chris landed in the bottom two because her vivacious personality did not match up to the photographs she took, but it was Liz’s rampant griping that got her sent packing.


 * First call-out: Kayla Ferrel
 * Bottom two: Chris White & Liz Williams
 * Eliminated: Liz Williams
 * Featured photographer: Simone Falcetta
 * Special guests: Margherita Missoni, Angela Missoni, Lidia Permunian, Fabio D'Onofrio, Mario D'Amico, Alessandro Possati

Kyle Hagler
First Air Date: November 10, 2010

Before sending the girls to the streets of Milan for go-sees, Tyra helped them organize their portfolios. Amongst one of their four appointments was Versace – and all the girls naturally headed there first. Chris injured her ankle on the way back. Ann was the only one who booked Versace, though she arrived late for evaluation and was disqualified together with Kayla. Chelsey was the only girl able to visit two go-sees, winning her the challenge.

This week's photo shoot took place at Lake Como, where the girls were to portray statues that came to life. Ann, Chelsey and Kayla all performed well, whilst Chris’s ankle injury caused her some pain, and Jane struggled to be passionate with her male model, causing her to break down.

IMG Models executive manager Kyle Hagler is this week's guest judge. While receiving critique, Jane again became emotional about her being unable to show her personality in front of them. Before deliberations, Tyra castigated all the girls for doing poorly at their go-sees. Jane's consistent lack of presence and Chris's lack of high fashion ability landed them in the bottom two. However, Jane’s meltdown during the photo shoot and at panel made the judges see a crack of her personality, and Chris was eliminated.


 * First call-out: Kayla Ferrell
 * Bottom two: Chris White & Jane Randall
 * Eliminated: Chris White
 * Featured photographer: Nigel Barker
 * Special guests: Kyle Hagler, Giovanni Di Corrinto, Andrea Cairo, Angelo Azzena, Danilo Di Pasquale, Vincenzo Cavicchi, Simone Bredariol

Franca Sozzani
First Air Date: November 17, 2010

The girls met Miss J. and acting coach Barbara Terrinoni, who taught them about acting and emoting. Later, their personalities and confidence were put to the test when they met one-on-one with Vogue Italia's editor-in-chief, Franca Sozzani. Franca was impressed by Ann’s pictures, but ultimately chose Chelsey to win the prize of a private viewing of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” with André Leon Talley, as well as an overnight stay at a seven star Milan hotel called the Town House Galleria, which she shared with Kayla.

The girls arrived in Verona, where Jay informed them that two of them will be eliminated at the next panel. Tyra directed the girls during a motion editorial challenge that requires them to bring their poses to life with movement and emotion.

At panel, Franca sat as the guest judge. All the girls receive mixed reviews regarding their performances but the judges were impressed by all nevertheless. Ann created an all-time high record after receiving her sixth collective first call-out of the cycle, leaving Chelsey, Jane and Kayla in the bottom three. It was noted that Chelsey’s passion, love and knowledge of the industry inspired the judges, but her photos were never the best, albeit still strong; Kayla has a unique look and a stellar portfolio, but she has not yet mastered her angles; Jane had the strongest face and bone structure, but was forgettable for a large part of the competition.

Tyra handed Chelsey the final photo, thus eliminating both Jane and Kayla.

After the credits, Tyra premiered her directorial debut of Modelli Folli (“Model Madness”).


 * First call-out: Ann Ward
 * Bottom three: Chelsey Hersley, Jane Randall & Kayla Ferrell
 * Eliminated: Jane Randall & Kayla Ferrell
 * Featured photographer: Tyra Banks
 * Special guests: Franca Sozzani, Barbara Terrinoni, Valentina Serra, Francesca Berardi

High fashion highlights
First Air Date: November 24, 2010

This is the recap episode of the cycle chronicling the first eleven episodes, and included some unbroadcast footage. Chelsey's 23rd birthday, Jane's makeover to a thug, some funny moments and fights.

Roberto Cavalli
First Air Date: December 1, 2010

Ann and Chelsey were sent to do their Vogue Italia cover shots, where the photographer lauded them both. They arrived at Orta San Giulio and were sent to shoot their CoverGirl commercial, where instead of memorizing lines, they were instructed to do voice-overs. After the shoot, their families made a surprise appearance, where it was revealed that they would be sitting at the front row during their final fashion show. The next day, the final two met IMG Models executive Ivan Bart, where Ivan was pleased with Chelsey's personality and modeling experience, while Ann was advised to work on her personality, though her photos impressed. Ann and Chelsey were joined by Cycle 14 winner Krista White and eliminated cycle 15 girls Chris, Kayla, Jane and Liz as they walked for Roberto Cavalli's Just Cavalli line.

At panel, Jay Manuel and Roberto Cavalli sat as guest judges. Chelsey's walk was deemed as focused but stiff, while Ann's was much improved but was chastised for her "scared" facial expressions. For their voice-overs, Chelsey's natural smile was universally praised but the judges thought she was an actress more than a model; Ann's voice was castigated but she looked stunning in the commercial. Chelsey's CoverGirl ad was unanimously deemed as beautiful, although it may had been too pretty for a makeup ad, although her ease during the shoot itself was praised. Though Ann's photo was deemed beautiful, it was chastised for being too editorial, which made the judges worry if she could do commercial modelling. During deliberations, the judges were torn over the "breakout star" Ann and her rare high fashion look, and "professional model" Chelsey's all-American girl-next-door persona, as well as her immense knowledge of the fashion industry.

The girls were called back, and Ann was announced to be the fifteenth winner of America's Next Top Model.


 * Final two: Ann Ward & Chelsey Hersley
 * America's Next Top Model: Ann Ward
 * Featured photographers: Vincent Peters, Federico De Angelis
 * Special guests: Valentina Serra, Roberto Cavalli, Ivan Bart, Krista White

Contestants
(ages stated are at time of contest)

(In order of elimination)

Photo shoot guide

 * Episode 1 Photo Shoot: Paired Up Wearing Cynthia Rowley Designs (Casting)
 * Episode 2 Photo Shoot: Teen Bullying
 * Episode 3 Photo Shoot: Fallen Angels
 * Episode 4 Photo Shoot: Underwater Beauty Shot
 * Episode 5 Photo Shoot: Lucha Va Voom
 * Episode 6 Photo Shoot: Walking down Rodeo Drive
 * Episode 7 Photo Shoot: Iconic Fashion Designers
 * Episode 8 Commercial: H2T Water on Roller Skates
 * Episode 9 Photo Shoot: Gondola Group Shoot
 * Episode 10 Photo Shoot: Statues
 * Episode 11 Motion Editorial: Modelli Folli ("Model Madness")
 * Episode 13 Photo Shoot & Commercial: CoverGirl Lash Blast Fusion Print Ad & Commercial / Beauty In Vogue Cover / Just Cavalli Fashion show

Judges

 * Tyra Banks – creator, host, photographer & main judge
 * Nigel Barker – judge & photographer
 * André Leon Talley – judge & fashion editor

Additional cast

 * J. Alexander – runway coach
 * Jay Manuel – photo shoot director

Post Top Model Agencies/Careers

 * Ann Ward: has been signed to IMG Models in New York City.
 * Chelsey Hersley: has been signed to Passport Model Management in San Francisco and Urban Talent Management in Boise.
 * Jane Randall: has been signed to IMG Models in New York City.
 * Rhianna Atwood: has been signed to Paragon Model Management in Mexico City.