Right from episode 1 I had a feeling that Amanda would be the winner or at least be a shoo-in for the finale. She was undoubtedly the most modelesque girl in the cast: she had the height, a sensational body, and a gorgeous face that would appeal to a wide variety of brands and markets. For the most part I think that she lived up to her massive potential, but her journey was far from spotless. She was decent on the runway at the beginning, but her walk was on the stiff side. By the end she had improved significantly and was the clear standout in the last fashion show and the best walker of the final 3. As for photos, Amanda definitely had an amazing portfolio as a whole, but she was not the most consistent: I gave her the most FCO’s with 3 total and yet she was also no stranger to my bottom 2. While I’m sure the main issues were just inexperience and fluctuations in her confidence, it was still strange how one week she’d be so natural and effortless on set and the next she’d be completely clueless. She had issues with vacancy in her eyes and too much tension in her mouth, although she at least showed progression in correcting those problems as the season went on. However, when everything clicked the resulting pictures were spectacular. Her Yacht shot and Denim Campaign are some of the standout moments of the season, and she also amazed me in the Mad Men, Edgy Beauty, Cosmopolitan, and Kimono photoshoots. Another thing I noticed was that nearly all of the photographers loved Amanda on set and often would make comments about her being their favorite for the day, even in shoots where she got mixed feedback at panel. Overall, I was perfectly fine with Amanda winning Cycle 6. I don’t think she would be my top pick due to her inconsistent moments, but she had enough strengths to justify giving her the crown. She was actually pretty well-rounded since she had a good walk and a very strong portfolio, plus her look had the most potential to translate into real success outside of the show. In the end, Amanda was a deserving champion and a really likable person as well.
