As an international model and beauty pageant trainer Diane Whittaker has launched a Bermudian Miss World and a Bermudian supermodel, and helped many other young women gain poise and confidence. After a long absence from the Island, Ms Whittaker is now back and ready to do it all over again.Ms Whittaker is now executive director of the International Modeling Academy and Finishing School at Cranleigh Limited in the Washington Mall, in Hamilton. She is introducing new courses designed to entice Bermudian women of all ages into the world of high fashion and beauty.“I absolutely think Bermuda has what it takes,” said Ms Whittaker. “The first Bermudian Miss Universe or next Miss World or top model is out there somewhere. If we don’t find her this year, it may be next year, but we really need to get more girls to enter the Miss Bermuda pageant. The retailers also have to come forward and support them with things like skin care, and wardrobe and that sort of thing.“I can tell you that there are girls in Bermuda who are future winners. I am absolutely positive of that. They have probably already been in a few fashions shows and are feeling good about themselves, but they need to take it a few steps further and see what is out there for them. It is a wonderful opportunity.”Before returning to Bermuda, Ms Whittaker had her own modelling and finishing school in Safety Harbor, Florida, called ‘Creme de la Creme International’. She had been thinking about retiring, but then decided there were things she still wanted to accomplish.She grew up in Derbyshire, England. She started out as a ballet dancer with the Derby Royal Ballet, but at 12-years-old informed her parents that she was bored by dancing.“Much to my parents’ displeasure, I gave up ballet,” she said. “I became interested in modelling. I became a teen model. As soon as I hit 13 was travelling to places like Spain to model. I went through various modelling courses as I got older. Each time I entered a beauty pageant or entered a fashion show, I thought ‘they (the other contestants) didn’t do this or that’ and made little notes to myself. I came to Bermuda and had all this information and thought ‘what am I going to do with that’?”She first came to Bermuda in the 1960s with her husband, William Yates, who worked as an accountant at Bermuda Press Limited. When she arrived she did some modelling for stores such as Calypso. Then she saw an advertisement looking for girls to be trained as models. She thought that was interesting, so she went along.“The teacher didn’t work out,” said Ms Whittaker. “I showed the organiser my credentials. He said, ‘do it, take over’. That was the beginning. I was the first person to put fashion shows on the cruise ships in Bermuda. Then I would put the shows into the hotels, sometimes twice a day.”One fashion show was conducted on a windy day at Government House before an audience of Prince Charles and Lord Martonmere. Prince Charles later had to help her fish the models’ hats out of the swimming pool.“Prince Charles helped me fish them out with a long pole,” said Ms Whittaker. “He was laughing as it was probably the first time he had done such a chore.”The fashion shows gave her girls, including Sheila Ming, a great deal of experience, before they went any further.”In the 1980s, Sheila Ming went on to become a top model in London and even starred in Duran Duran’s music video ‘Hungry Like A Wolf’.“I worked for Cranleigh many years ago under a different umbrella,” said Ms Whittaker. “Gina Swainson came to me for model training. I immediately saw potential for the Miss Bermuda competition. I knew they were trying to get girls in at that time. I suggested it to her, and she said, ‘oh no, I don’t think so’.”But several of Ms Swainson’s friends were keen for her to enter, and with their help, Ms Whittaker convinced her to to do it. Unfortunately, on the momentous day of Ms Swainson’s televised first runner-up win at the 1979 Miss Universe competition in Perth, Australia, Ms Whittaker was not able to celebrate because she had been in a terrible bicycle accident.“I was all bandaged up because I had just had a major bike accident,” said Ms Whittaker. “I couldn’t cry. I couldn’t cheer. I couldn’t do anything. I had broken half of my face. I wasn’t even able to go to the airport to see her come back.”Today, she is convinced that more Bermudian girls could go on to the heights of the fashion and beauty industry, with the right training and support. The qualities she looks for are height, figure, bone structure and attitude.“Attitude has always been important,” she said. “The girl has got to want to do this and have the right mindset. Number two she has to behave like a lady who is representing her country. Therefore, she has to be shining in every way possible.”For those who want to go all the way to the top she will be dealing with overseas agents, mainly the top agents in New York and London. However, she said her modelling clients would be working in local shows before they ever did anything overseas, to gain training and experience.“If they have what it takes in all that, I can make them a winner whether it be for modelling or for beauty pageants,” said Ms Whittaker. “There are beautiful girls that do enter the pageants who don’t have the correct training. They have the beauty and the figure but they don’t win because they don’t have that edge.”She teaches her clients the business of modelling, and everything from moving on the runway, photoshoots, how much make-up to wear at certain points to what to expect overseas.“I have a lot of good people at the back of me over there (overseas) who are world class promoters,” she said. “I can’t reveal names at this point, because I don’t want everyone to jump on their wagon either. They are my personal friends.”Two courses have been arranged including a model boot camp, a short introductory course on modelling for all ages starting as young as seven-years-old. This course is for four weeks and meets twice a week for an hour. There will also be a ‘Classic Turning Point’ programme offered to women who are looking for a change in their lives. It is meant to be an all around self improvement course. It will include information about taking care of your feet and hands, deportment, health, art, party planning, and gourmet cooking, among other things. Both programmes are $300, and start in February.“It is exciting doing this in Bermuda,” she said. “Bermuda is small but great things come in small packages, as has been proved in the past. We just have to get the girls to come out.”For more information telephone 292-3458 or e-mail dwhittaker[AT]cdt.bm