We Recreated ANTM Photo Shoots On The Cheap & They Turned Out Awesome

As an aimless adolescent, I would spend entire Saturdays binge-watching seasons of "America's Next Top Model" on VH1. I was sure that one day, despite my below-average height, I too would have the opportunity to compete for prizes like "go-sees" by dressing up like a giraffe for a shoot with "world-renowned photographer Gilles Bensimone." 

While my 7th grade dreams may have not come true, I'm now a grownup with the power to make shit happen. So, I became my very own Make-A-Wish and roped my co-workers into recreating low-rent versions of our favorite ANTM looks. With a $100 budget and some light Photoshopping, we proved that anyone can be on top. 

On the left we have Bianca from the episode "Take My Photo, Tyra!" because, you guessed it, Tyra took their photos. Viewers might remember this cycle as the season of short girls, where all contestants managed to be beautiful despite being under 5' 7" (gasp!).

On the right we have Hannah Poindexter, a Michigan native with no previous modeling experience, but a bevvy of published articles about ways to eat an avocado. To recreate this look, we basically just stuck a sheer scarf over Hannah's head and used a utility fan as a wind machine. Genius.

Total cost: $9

On the left is Eva Pigford, the cycle 3 champion (spoiler!). We all remember this episode as the one where "Diva Eva" faced her lifelong fear of spiders and cried (very gracefully, in my opinion). Despite her minor freakout, she went on to win the challenge and the whole shebang. 

On the right is Sara Driscoll, the sassy Chicagoan who brought you stories like Uber for Women and Dose's Least Influential People. For this ANTM-meets-Fear-Factor look, we bought a rubber spider and some costume jewelry. And no, we had no idea the spider would be that big when we ordered it online. Big ups to Sara for acting like that huge rubber tarantula was totally weightless and no trouble at all to hold up with one hand.

Total cost: $27 (that spider was pricey)

The model on the left is Cycle 7's Michelle, best known as one of the gangly Babin twins. Although her sister Amanda had more modeling experience and seemed to want it more, Michelle had the natural smize that stole our hearts. I mean, just look at how she owns that nutso wig.

The model on the right is Dose's very own Julianne Ishler, best known for her coverage of everything Bieber. To recreate this high-fashion bird's nest, we got a rainbow costume wig, some children's face paint, and one of those hyper-realistic craft birds you see at Michael's and think, "but why?" Add a few bobby pins, a sassy side-eye and voilà! They even kind of look alike.

Total cost: $16

The look on the left is modeled by Fatima, a Somali-born contestant with a pre-med degree from Bryn Mawr. The judges loved Fatima's face in this shot but gave her waaay too much flack for not shaving her armpits. So, for our recreation, we asked that our model not shave either. 

The look on the right is modeled by Dominic Trombino, the guy who brought you a definitive ranking of gay TV boyfriends and this surprisingly divisive piece on the Punisher. All we needed was some non-toxic washable paint and a willing participant to drip it on. I must say, I think we nailed it. Tyra would be proud. 

Total cost: $6

Yoanna House. Winner of cycle 2 and my heart. She looked like Natalie Imbruglia's twin sister and was just so above the bullshit of the show. And do you guys remember when she hosted "The Look For Less?" The Style Network may rest in piece, but Yoanna lives on forever. 

Paige Moomey. Writer of delicious stories on what it's like to be a teenage witch and how a sheepdog can save your life. Clearly this was not a challenge. Paige is basically already a supermodel, so we just slapped on some red lipstick and a bicycle helmet, both of which she already owned. This could be in next month's Vogue. 

Total cost: Nothing

On the left we have cycle winner Teyona in the episode "Here's Your Test." You might remember this episode as the one where we dealt with the backlash from Celia THROWING TAHLIA UNDER THE BUS at panel because she said, in private, that she was unsure of her career path as a model. Jeez Louise, can't a girl express a little doubt?

On the right we have Justine Figueroa, our resident beauty expert who's been known to fangirl super hard for Ruby Rose. We thought this recreation would be a goofy face-paint-gone-wrong situation, but it turned out crazy gorgeous. JUST LOOK AT THAT FACE! She will be tweeting Tyra ASAP. 

Total cost: 8 mustard packets

Do you guys remember Joanie? She's the one who, at the show's request, had her Jewel-esque smile turned into Chiclet-y veneers. This shoot happened the day after her major dental surgery, so these tears were probably real. 

Do you guys remember Justine? She's the one from the last photo. If you can't get enough of her, check out her piece where she talked to dudes on Tinder using only Broad City quotes. We tried to make Justine cry with sad stories and insults but she was not having it. So we doused her in contact solution and told her to "look like you have a headache and you're bummed about it."

Total cost: Half a bottle of contact solution

On the left is cycle 4 runner-up Kahlen, posing as a Lubriderm-selling springbok. The week before, her high school friend died—yet she still posed in a coffin (!!) for the seven deadly sins shoot. In the world of ANTM that was deemed brave, but now it just seems fucked up. Let the girl go home for a funeral, Tyra!

On the right is yours truly. Pretty much the whole reason I pitched this story was so that I could pose with an alligator pool toy. It turns out that costume springbok horns are very hard to find, so we settled for giraffe ears. I'm waiting by the phone, Lubriderm. 

Total cost: $23

On the left is Gina, who was best known for losing her shit over a cockroach. She didn't last long, but she definitely rocked the dead-eyed mannequin look. 

On the right is our Senior Editor Erin Klabunde, best known for correcting our poor spelling and being a good sport about wearing a bald cap. We only used  stick-on gems, an inexpertly applied bald cap, and a touch of Photoshop to recreate this look. Shout out to our graphic designer Ines for the transformation. 

Total cost: $20

We started this project expecting to laugh at our failed attempts to recreate professional photo shoots. The side-by-side looks were fully expected to be ridiculous sight gags. But, with a little creativity and a relentless commitment to dumb, they turned out kind of awesome. 

We all have plenty of "OMG we should totally do that" ideas that pass us by every day, but we held onto this one and made it happen. We just...did it. Sometimes, the only difference between success and failure is actually ordering a blow-up alligator from Amazon. 

To show you just how easy it is, here's a behind the scenes look.