Cycle 3

ICONIC, Cycle 3 was announced on June 24th 2012, when applications were opened. In total, 48 aspiring models applied, and the 14 finalists were announced July 11th 2012. The 3rd winner of ICONIC was 19-year-old Arihana Veitenheimer.

Contestants
(in order of elimination)



Episode 1
Air date: July 19th 2012

For their first photoshoot, the girls were dressed in fashionable ensembles, while surrounded by trash, clutter and crap, with the necessity of showing strength and beauty through the clutter. Arihana recieved high praise for her romantic but couture picture, as did Jackie, Artemis and Taryn. Barzelona and Melodie also received praise. While Celeste's picture was loved by the other judges, new judge, Rebecca Farsi, was not a fan. Morgan, Raima and Raquel received much criticism for their lackluster photos.

At the elimination, it was Arihana who received first call out, with Jackie and Taryn following. Morgan, Raima and Raquel landed in the bottom 3, but it was Raima and Raquel who were placed at the bottom by the judges. Raquel's look was deemed "in" by the judges, but her picture was deemed the absolute worst. Raima's look was praised and her ability to stand out, but was criticized for "playing" the role, as opposed to being the role. Ultimately, it was Raquel who was sent home, due to her picture being the worst of the week.
 * First Call Out: Arihana Veitenheimer
 * Bottom 2: Raima Hein & Raquel Stone
 * Eliminated: Raquel Stone

Episode 2
Air date: July 22nd 2012

For this weeks shoot, the girls were charged with modelling alien face paints in a high fashion beauty shoot. Jackie received slight praise, but was told that her picture "pales in comparison" to her previous one. Brenda received criticism for not learning her angles, and looking down, when she was warned about it the previous week. Jennifer was criticized for her lack of effort in her picture, and Morgan was told that she needed to up her game, or risk being left in the dust. While the other judges were unimpressed, Ivana professed to like Raima's picture. Barzelona and Taryn received slight praise, while Mariah, Arihana and Melodie received great praise.

At elimination, it was Mariah's picture that gained first call out, followed by Arihana and Melodie. Ivana's opinions helped save Raima, who recived tenth call out. Landing in the bottom 2 were Brenda and Morgan. Brenda's failure to heed the judge's advice hindered her unique look, and Morgan's bland picture was unrepresentative to her strong look. But, it was Morgan who was given another change, and Brenda was eliminated from the competition.
 * First Call Out: Mariah Banks
 * Bottom 2: Brenda Marraquexe & Morgan Black
 * Eliminated: Brenda Marraquexe

Episode 3
Air date: July 30th 2012

For this weeks shoot, the girls had to model swimwear on a beach. Barzelona was castigated by guest judge, Sasha, for not utilizing her face, and Marcella felt her pose was too catalogue. While Rebecca loved Iiota's attitude in her shot, the other judges disagreed. Morgan, despite criticism from Sasha, was praised by the other judges for her vast improvement from the last few weeks. Mariah received full praise from the judges for her powerful and sexy photo. Raima was criticized again for still not living up to her potential. Melodie's consistency was praised, but Rebecca suggested she find herself more angles, as she had reused the same one three times.

At elimination, it was Mariah who received her second consecutive first call out, followed by Taryn and Arihana. Morgan received fourth call out, for her vast improvements. Iiota was saved from the bottom 3, leavin Jackie and Raima in the bottom two. While both were praised for their looks, their performance was castigated. In the end, it was Raima who was eliminated for failing to use her strong beauty in pictures.
 * First Call Out: Mariah Banks
 * Bottom 2: Jackie Molina & Raima Hein
 * Eliminated: Raima Hein

Episode 4
Air date: August 16th 2012

In this weeks shoot, the girls were posing with cigarettes, in the Napa valley. They were joined by Monique Owkz (EdgysimZ) on panel.

Mariah's picture was deemed a let-down, considering her prior two first call outs, and Jennifer's picture was criticized for being 101 and not knowing her angles. Barzelona's attitude in her shot was praised. Arihana turned out a weak picture, surprising the judges. Celeste's use of her hands was also castigated, but Jackie's slick and simple picture found her major praise, as did Morgan. Iiota's picture was criticized as a rehash of Jackie's previous picture. Again, Taryn received praise for her powerful photo and impressive consistency.

At elimination, Taryn received first call out, followed by Morgan, Jackie and Barzelona. Mariah received 6th call out, after her two consecutives first call outs. Celeste, Iiota and Jennifer found themselves in the bottom 3, with Celeste being saved from the bottom. While Jennifer's quirky look was praised, her inconsistency and inability to translate it to print was not. Iiota's unusual appearance was also praised, but her failure to produce something truly stellar was castigated. Ultimately, Jennifer's stronger pictures saved her, and Iiota became the 4th casualty of the competition.
 * First Call Out: Taryn Freeman
 * Bottom 2: Iiota Newnez & Jennifer Rodale
 * Eliminated: Iiota Newnez

Episode 5
Air date: August 24th 2012

This week, the girls were taxed with portraying modern day fashionistas, hitting the city, in pairs. They were joined by guest judge, Cycle 1 winner, Lara McDonald, on panel. Arihana and Morgan were called for judging first. Both were praised for working well as a pair, though Arihana was singled out as the stronger. Mariah's picture divided the judges; while most loved it, Lara felt it was too obvious. Barzelona and Jackie were criticized for being disconnected from each other, and Barzelona's posing was deemed lazy by Rebecca. Ivana was pleased with Celeste's picture, but the other judges were unhappy with the result. Taryn was praised for yet another strong picture, while Rebecca noted Melodie's posing made her body appear bulky.

At elimination, Arihana received her 2nd first call out. Mariah and Taryn soon followed. Artemis and Morgan were saved from the bottom 2, leaving Barzelona and Celeste at the bottom of the pack. Barzelona's picture was singled out as the worst, while Celeste's weak previous performance held her back. Shockingly, it was Barzelona who was eliminated, allowing Celeste another week in the competition.
 * First Call Out: Arihana Veitenheimer
 * Bottom 2: Barzelona Keio & Celeste Crawford
 * Eliminated: Barzelona Keio

Episode 6
Air date: August 29th 2012

For the 6th week of the competition, the girls were joined by Emmy St. Pierce on panel, and their photoshoot was paint-splattered beauty shots. Taryn's lackluster posing and unemotive facial expression earned her her very first bad picture. Jennifer was praised for bringing a more high fashion take on her cutesy look, and for letting her eyes pop, though Emmy was not fully pleased with her performance. Arihana received high praise again, for capturing the essence of her colour, with Rebecca deeming her picture a potential ad. Artemis' familiar facial expression was noted, but she was praised for making it work in her picture. While Celeste was praised for improving, her readiness for the industry was brought into question. Ivana felt that Morgan brought more grey to the table, than purple, and that her picture was depressing. Melodie's picture was deemed stiff, and she was told to loosen up in future. While Jackie's intense alienated Emmy, the other judges were impressed by her powerful glare. Mariah received minimal praise, and was instructed to bring more creative expressions in future.

At elimination, Arihana received her 3rd, and 2nd consecutive, first call out, and was followed by Jackie and Artemis. Taryn was disappointed to receive 5th, after her strong previous performances. The bottom 3 girls were then surprised to hear all three of them being called forward. Celeste was criticized for failing to utilize her amazing look, and for being stuck in the bottom throughout the show, Melodie's slowly stiffening poses were also criticized, and Morgan's inconsistent time on the show was also noted. Ultimately, it was Melodie who was spared, leaving both Celeste and Morgan eliminated in 8th/9th place.
 * First Call Out: Arihana Veitenheimer
 * Bottom 3: Celeste Crawford, Melodie Carter & Morgan Black
 * Eliminated: Celeste Crawford & Morgan Black

Episode 7
Air date: September 16th 2012

At the 7th week of the competition, the girls had to embody aristocrats, attending a tea party at a classic English-styled manor house. They were joined by Alice Gardner at panel.

Jackie's graceful appearance in her picture earned her great praise, while Taryn's picture was deemed bland and lacking in effort. Arihana received criticism for being too posy, and for not having enough emotion in her face. Melodie's posing was praised, also, though Alice felt she needed to push more in her facial expressions. Rebecca and Marcella were worried about Mariah's picture, feeling it empty and looking bored. Ivana complimented Artemis' posing, praising the way she gave the dress a great shape. Jennifer received praise for bringing grace and glamour to the hardest dress of all, with Marcella deeming it "easily the best picture of the night."

At elimination, Jennifer received first call out, followed by Artemis and Jackie. Arihana was saved at the bottom 3, leaving a shocking bottom 2 of Mariah and Taryn. Taryn's face was deemed strong for high fashion and commercial purposes, but her passion was questioned by Ivana and the other judges. Despite Mariah's two first call outs, her lack of consistency was brought up, and Ivana questioned whether she had "burned out" already. In the end, Taryn's consistent performance previously saved her from elimination, leaving Mariah as the 8th casualty of the show.
 * First Call Out: Jennifer Rodale
 * Bottom 2: Mariah Banks & Taryn Freeman
 * Eliminated: Mariah Banks

Episode 8
Air date: October 8th 2012

For their first shoot in Paris, the girls were tasked with modelling glamorous European designs in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, itself. Joining the models at panel was Jack Anthony.

First up to be evaluated was Arihana, who failed to impress. The judges noted Arihana's recent inconsistency, and reminded her that she had to be stepping up; and not regressing. Melodie surprised the judges with her elegant photo, leading to Rebecca deeming it "the Chanel of the bunch". Jennifer was also praised for her body work, but was reminded by Ivana to push out of her comfort zone with her expressions. Artemis was reprimanded for not taking enough risks and looking drained in her picture, while Jackie split the panel with her simple picture. Early front-runner, Taryn, failed to impress again, though she was complimented by Ivana for pushing out of her comfort zone.

At elimination, it was Melodie's picture that gained first call out, flanked by Jennifer and Jackie. Despite being early front runners, Arihana, Taryn and Artemis found themselves in the bottom 3, with Arihana being saved from the bottom two. Taryn's weak recent performance was highlighted and her ability to bring it back from the brink was called into question, while Artemis' versatility was questioned, due to her frequently used expression. Ultimately, Taryn's previous performance saved her once again, and Artemis left the competition in 6th place.
 * First Call Out: Melodie Carter
 * Bottom 2: Artemis Kniatt & Taryn Freeman
 * Eliminated: Artemis Kniatt

Episode 9
Air date: October 28th 2012

In the 9th week of the competition, it was the girls' briefing that they were to model for both an au naturale beauty shoot, and an avant garde couture picture. Thomas Cook joined Ivana and Rebecca at panel.

While Arihana impressed the other judges, Rebecca criticized her expressions in both her pictures, feeling they held her back. Jackie's use of her angles was criticized, and Ivana told her she should know them by this point. Jennifer's pictures split the judges, with Thomas praising her beauty shot, while Rebecca criticized. Melodie's reuse of her angles was again noted, while Rebecca felt that the black and white editing aged her, in her editorial shot. Taryn's beauty shot found great praise, as did her editorial.

At elimination, Arihana gained yet another first call out, with Taryn returning to her high positions, with second. Melodie was then saved from the bottom two, leaving Jackie and Jennifer in her wake. Jackie's consistent portfolio found praise, but her lack of a first call out also showed she had never truly "wow"ed the judges. Jennifer's improvement was highlighted, but her lack of consistency found her her share of criticism. However, it was Jennifer's improvement that won, and Jackie left in 5th place.
 * First Call Out: Arihana Veitenheimer
 * Bottom 2: Jackie Molina & Jennifer Rodale
 * Eliminated: Jackie Molina

Episode 10
Air date: November 29th 2012

It was the penultimate week of the competition, and the stakes were at their absolute highest. Delta Leebourgh sat on panel alongside Ivana and Rebecca, and the shoot that week was a couture Victorian shoot.

Arihana was first for evaluation; she found criticism from Rebecca (again!), who felt that she had gone for an "obvious" couture, as opposed to something more natural. Ivana expressed fears that Arihana was too one-note, and subtly encouraged her to bring more looks to her photos. Delta criticised Melodie for using the same face, repeatedly and being stiff, and Ivana agreed, feeling that she was resting only on her look, and not taking enough risks. Jennifer was then called, and was noted by Rebecca to have "peaked very late in the competition", and that she had needed to be on top to continue; but that she was not. Delta expressed that her close-up was the best yet, but that her body was too contrived. Taryn's photo found high praise with the judges, for it's simplicity and elegance, but was reminded to be aware of her face in pictures, as her features were slightly washed out.

At elimination, Taryn received her second first call out, with Arihana, Jennifer and Melodie landing in the bottom three. Arihana was noted for being too one-note for the industry, despite her previous success. Jennifer's underdog status was praised, but having had two weak photos, they wondered if it was too late for her to shine again. Melodie's consistency was praised, but her lack of progress criticised, and that her shining moment had not quite arrived. Ultimately, it was Arihana's strong pictures that saved her, and she continued into the finale with Taryn.
 * First Call Out: Taryn Freeman
 * Bottom 3: Arihana Veitenheimer, Jennifer Rodale & Melodie Carter
 * Eliminated: Jennifer Rodale & Melodie Carter

Episode 11 - Finale
Air date: December 11th 2012

It's the last week of ICONIC which means, it's time for the finale.

Arihana's stunning, simple Maybelline photo was highly praised by the judges, while Rebecca felt underwhelmed by her Vogue Italia, though the other judges loved it. Taryn's stiff and sloped shoulders in her Maybelline shot earned her some criticism, but her Vogue Italia received unanimous praise.

Running through their portfolios, both girls received huge praise, though their occasional inconsistencies gave rise to worries in the judges, as to who would be stronger going out into the fashion world. Arihana's simplistic but edgy photos were praised, as well as criticized for being too safe. Taryn's risk taking was praised, though her 3-week weakness earned her a share of criticism. In deliberation, Marcella van Buren praised Arihana's portfolio and Taryn's risks, eventually voting for Taryn, as she felt that Taryn would be more memorable in the long run. Rebecca noted that both girls had been stand outs since day one, noting that when Arihana was right, she nailed it, but when she didn't, she really missed it. She also noted that Taryn had been heavily consistent, until a minor dip during the second half of the competition, but that she had managed to bring herself back from the brink and prove that she deserved to be in the competition.

With deliberation over, the girls were brought back into the panel room, where the judges revealed they were split on who the winner should be, meaning the public vote had been the deciding factor, yet again. And ultimately, with 57.14% of the vote, it was the edgy girl, Arihana, who had been crowned the winner of ICONIC, Cycle 3.
 * Winner of Iconic, Cycle 3: Arihana Veitenheimer
 * Runner-Up: Taryn Freeman

Makeovers

 * Arihana - Long, wavy and blond
 * Artemis - Extensions added, polished
 * Barzelona - Trimmed and dyed brown
 * Brenda - Extensions added and dyed blond
 * Celeste - Dyed brown and made thicker
 * Iiota - Dyed blond
 * Jackie - Dyed lighter
 * Jennifer - Dyed red and curled
 * Mariah - Restyled
 * Melodie - Extensions added and dyed light brown
 * Morgan - Extensions added and dyed blond
 * Raima - Curled and dyed brown
 * Taryn - Sides shaved
 * Raquel - Extensions added and dyed black

Summaries

 * Youngest contestant(s): Jennifer Rodale & Raquel Stone (both 17 years)
 * Eldest contestant(s): Artemis Kniatt, Mariah Banks & Raima Hein (all 22 years)
 * Most consecutive first call outs: Arihana Veitenheimer & Mariah Banks (both 2 times)
 * Most collective first call outs: Arihana Veitenheimer (4 times)
 * Most consecutive bottom 2 appearances: Taryn Freeman (2 times)
 * Most collective bottom 2 appearances: Jennifer Rodale (3 times)
 * Highest call out average: Arihana Veitenheimer (2.7)