Oraine Barrett a model of fitness and success

Pulse superstar Oraine Barrett’s successful modelling career has spanned nearly two decades and he is still going strong. Recently, when Ralph Lauren celebrated his 50th anniversary, he called on Barrett to lead the charge on a show to celebrate the brand’s milestone.

Barrett’s story is one of determination and talent mixed with a charming, winning disposition. Pulse’s first global ambassador, Barrett has not only achieved great heights in modelling, but he is also one of America’s top fitness experts. A sports and fitness enthusiast from his high-school days, the former Munro College student says it comes naturally to him. “I was surrounded by fitness growing up, working with my mother in the farm each day. I represented Munro in football and played for Jamaica at the youth level. I was on track to attend college on a football scholarship in the US when I came into modelling,” says Barrett. While modelling gave Barrett his first taste of success (he won Pulse’s Male Face of the Caribbean competition in 2002), he still had eyes on the world of sports.

Fashion would prevail in the years following his discovery by Pulse and he has appeared in magazines, including Vogue, L’Officiel, i-D, Interview, V man, and worked for some important menswear fashion companies – Versace, John Varvatos, Phat Farm, Nautica, among others. However, Ralph Lauren stands at the top of this list. “Shooting for their Olympics campaign was a great achievement, and my relationship with the brand has continued to this day,” notes Barrett. Ralph Lauren, Ralph RLX, Polo, PoloTech, Polo Sports are a range of the products from the company for which Oraine has campaigned over several years.

FITNESS BUG

The fitness bug soon hit, and as Barrett took great strides in modelling, he pursued his certification in fitness and training. His highly successful modelling career would be an excellent platform to develop and grow his fitness expertise and entrepreneurial skills – and he could pursue both concurrently. “It was easy to do both because fitness is a critical part of staying healthy and looking your best as a model. The people I have met and the network I am able to create in the modelling industry have been key to my fitness business,” Barrett notes. Own your Body (OB), an apt name for the supermodel’s business brand, is also a play on the letters which are his initials.

Despite his successes, the New York-based Barrett has stayed closely connected with his roots in Jamaica. The son of St Elizabeth soil returns to Jamaica each year for a mix of sun and sea and to give back. Among his many endeavours is a local charity that he operates in his home town. He also supports young models who begin the same journey each year that he took in 2002 when he came to Pulse. “Oraine has been an excellent judge on our Caribbean Model Search TV show over the last two seasons,” says producer and Pulse Managing Director Romae Gordon. “We introduced men to the mix of our reality TV series, and it made perfect sense to have Oraine’s modelling and fitness expertise help guide the contestants through the process,” she said.