Two Abbotsford teens are attracting attention for their beauty.

Taylor Larsen, 16, is among the top 10 finalists in a national model search sponsored by Garage clothing store.

Jillian Halldorson, 17, recently placed in the top 10 of China’s largest modelling competition – the New Silk Road Model Look Contest.

Larsen, a Grade 11 student at Fraser Valley Adventist Academy, is currently in first place in the online-voting contest at garage.ca. She was one of only two B.C. teens to make the top 10.

The winner of the model search stars in the company’s spring 2010 ad campaign alongside other models and receives a $1,500 gift certificate for Garage and a trip for two to South America.

Larsen entered the contest after seeing a promotional poster at the store in Sevenoaks Shopping Centre while out with her dad and sister.

She looked up the contest online after she got home, filled out the application form, and then attended an open call at Metrotown. Larsen waited in line with about another 100 girls, and then had a quick interview.

She found out last Tuesday that she had been named a finalist and that her picture had been posted online.

The winner is expected to be announced no later than Oct. 25.

If she wins, Larsen said it could open up modelling opportunities that would allow her to save money for college or university. She wants to become an orthodontist.

“I think it would be fun to fix people’s smiles and help them regain their confidence.”

Halldorson, who graduated from W. J. Mouat Secondary earlier this year, has already taken steps towards a career in fashion design. She is currently taking some online courses and plans to attend Kwantlen Polytechnic University next year.

Her trip to China last month has contributed to her experience in this field.

Halldorson won a spot in the New Silk Road contest after taking first place in the ITM-NSR Model Look North America contest in Richmond in June.

She was among 50 contestants to qualify for the event in Sanya, Hainan, China on Sept. 20.

Halldorson said she was surprised to discover she was the only Caucasian among the participants. This made the language barrier a challenge until her New Silk Road representative from Vancouver showed up five days later and was able to translate.

The competition was similar to the Richmond event, with its pageant-like feel. It included an opening number, followed by daywear, bathing suit and evening gown portions.

Halldorson’s name was announced among the top 10 finalists, but the winner was a 19-year-old from Zhejiang.

Halldorson said the days leading up to the contest were packed with photo shoots, rehearsals, fittings and the like.

“I did learn quite a lot from the girls – like the poses they do on command.”

She now hopes to put these lessons into practice. Halldorson is working on further developing her modelling portfolio and hopes to sign with an agency in Vancouver.