The fourth season of the Italian reality television show Italia's Next Top Model premiered on SKY Vivo on 30 March 2011 and concluded on 15 June 2011.
The series was once again hosted by Russian former model and actress Natasha Stefanenko. The other permanent judges were Michael Giannini, an art director and talent scout at the modeling agency d’Management; former model Antonia Dell'Atte; fashion photographer Alberto Badalamenti; and fashion journalist Giusi Ferré.
For the first time, a transgender contestant, Adriana Mazzarini, was part of the final cast. The season was won by Alice Taticchi, who received a contract with Fashion Model Milan and an editorial feature for Lancôme.
Changes
After viewers criticized several format changes introduced in season 3, the show returned to its original structure, without an audience and with no more runway challenges at the panel. The daily episodes were removed, and weekly episodes were edited to cover one week of events.
The prizes for this season changed: Fashion Model Management replaced d'Management Group as the winner's agency—although Michael Giannini, the art director of d'Management, remained as contestants' coach and judge—and the Max Factor campaign was replaced by an editorial spread for Lancôme.
Episode summaries
Episode 1 First aired 7 January 2011
For this season, the cast was chosen in a live final casting episode, in which 24 hopefuls selected from castings throughout the country presented themselves before the judges and a live audience. After the pool was reduced to 16, the contestants, divided into groups of four, showcased their walks in themed runway segments and spoke about their lives and modeling ambitions. The finalists were then chosen by viewer vote, with only three out of each group of four advancing. From the four eliminated contestants, the judges selected one to join the 12 chosen by the public. The 13 finalists were also joined by the winner of the web casting, selected by online voters to become an official finalist.
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Wildcard Lorenza Giulia Francesca AliceIlaria ElizabethGinevra Beatrice Bruna VeronicaBenedetta Adriana LauraLaura Alice Valentina Valentina
After the episode, Elizabeth withdrew from the competition for personal reasons and was replaced by semi-finalist Rossella B., who had previously missed being reintroduced to the final cast by just one vote in the judges' decision to bring back one of the four eliminated contestants.
Episode 2 First aired 30 March 2011
Natasha meets the 14 contestants in the city center of Milan and accompanies them in a limousine to their new home. She tells them they will be staying in an entire palace, leading them to believe they’ll be living in luxurious accommodations. All the girls are excited as they arrive at their new house, but upon entering, they face an unpleasant truth. Although they are staying in a palace, it is completely devoid of the comforts they expected, with basic furniture, empty walls, small rooms, and only two bathrooms for all of them. Later, Michael explains that the setup is intended to show them the real life of a model’s house—small spaces, limited comforts, crowded bedrooms, and queues for the bathroom.
While most of the girls, despite their disappointment, get ready to clean up the rooms, Valeria displays a disgusted attitude toward their new home, refusing to do any housework and immediately claiming the more comfortable and only private bedroom for herself. Ginevra, on the other hand, is pleased with the accommodations, stating that all she needs is the chance to model. She criticizes Valeria for her fussy demeanor and her unwillingness to help with the chores.
The next day, the girls face their first reward challenge. Michael takes them to a nearby park, where they are dressed in rainy-day outfits and asked to walk with an umbrella on an improvised runway. In the end, Rossella B. is declared the winner of the challenge for displaying the most convincing walk. She is given two options: she can either take the private bedroom for herself or have workmen come to the house to make it cozier. Rossella B. chooses the second option, so two workmen arrive to add wall decorations, improve lighting, and build a runway for the girls to practice their walks. Meanwhile, each contestant receives a prize of new clothes.
The following day, the girls are informed that they will be doing their first photoshoot. On set, Natasha explains that they will need to embody characters or fashion styles that reflect their personalities. After brief individual discussions with each contestant to decide on their subject, they begin preparing for the shoot. During the session, they must take their own photos, using cameras with timers and quickly posing in front of them. Some girls, like Alice, Ginevra, and Rossella G., are comfortable, while others, such as Adriana, Bruna, and Lorenza, struggle to create a strong pose. The girls represent the following subjects:
Contestant Subject Adriana Mermaid Alice Audrey Hepburn Beatrice Hippie Benedetta 1930s Diva Bruna Naomi Campbell Francesca The Spring Ginevra The Future Giulia Sandy Olsson Ilaria Cleopatra Lorenza Snow White Rossella B. Alice in Wonderland Rossella G. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Valeria Geisha Veronica 1970s Rocker
At panel, the girls are evaluated based on a full-body shot and a close-up photo. Alice, Benedetta, Francesca, and Ginevra are praised for their shots, as is Rossella G., who produced a remarkable photo despite being described as somewhat common in person by Giusi. Beatrice is warned to think more while on set, and Ilaria is told she did not fully express her personality in her shot. Valeria receives mixed reviews, while Veronica is critiqued harshly for not embodying the mood she chose in her photo.
Bruna’s evaluation sparks a debate between Alberto, the photographer, and Michael, the girls’ mentor. Alberto accuses Michael of giving Bruna too many directions, which confused her, while Michael believes that new models need more guidance when starting photoshoots. Lorenza is criticized for being stiff on set, with her pose not matching the subject she chose, resulting in an overall poor shot. Adriana is scolded for her awkward pose and facial expression, producing a lackluster picture that fails to portray the femininity she has always aspired to.
In the end, Adriana and Lorenza are placed in the bottom two for their performances on set and poor shots. Lorenza is sent home, as she is deemed too uneasy in front of the camera.
Bottom two: Adriana Mazzarini & Lorenza Celentano Eliminated: Lorenza Celentano
Episode 3 First aired 6 April 2011
The girls are informed by Natasha that they will be getting makeovers. They are driven to Charme&Cheveux Salon, where Michael and the hairstylists will reveal their new looks. Rossella G. undergoes the most radical change, with her hair partly shaved and dyed platinum blond, while most of the other girls receive minor changes, such as trims and slight color adjustments.
Tensions arise when Francesca, already a natural blonde, points out that she finds it silly to have her hair dyed blonder. She questions her motivation to stay and starts an argument with Veronica, who criticizes Francesca for being whiny and disrespectful to the other girls who are accepting their makeovers, even if they don’t agree with the changes. Francesca refuses to speak to Veronica any longer, and Ginevra defends her by attacking Veronica for intervening. Later, Francesca goes through with her makeover, while Ginevra, upset with her new hairstyle, is comforted by Natasha.
Natasha pays a visit to the girls to have dinner with them. The dinner ends emotionally when the host gives Adriana a letter from her mother, who writes to encourage her daughter, acknowledging the difficult times she faced being raised by her grandparents and undergoing a gender reassignment operation.
The next day, Michael visits the girls' house to give them a catwalk lesson. Fashion model Silvia Dimitrova assists him in evaluating the girls. Alice, Francesca, and Ginevra receive positive reviews, while Beatrice is told she has improved her walk. Giulia is found to be uncomfortable on the runway, Valeria is too tense, and Benedetta’s walk is criticized for its flaws. Michael asks Ginevra to help the other girls practice, which leads Veronica to comment on Ginevra’s inability to correct the contestants’ flaws. Benedetta, meanwhile, expresses her disappointment in herself for feeling inferior to the other girls on the catwalk.
The following day, the girls receive a Natasha Mail informing them that they will be participating in their first runway challenge. They head to Istituto Marangoni, where they will be walking for the fashion school’s designers. Each designer is assigned a number of girls as follows:
Designer Contestants Collection Mood Giulia CasertaGiulia Caserta istitutomarangoni.com Rossella B., Veronica Ethereal Elegance Silvia GaviraghiSilvia Gaviraghi istitutomarangoni.com Benedetta, Bruna Aggressive/Romantic Gian Marco IanelloGian Marco Ianello istitutomarangoni.com Francesca, Giulia, Ilaria Melancholic Beauty Anna MignanegoAnna Mignanego istitutomarangoni.co Adriana, Beatrice, Valeria Aggressive Marco PasqualiMarco Pasquali istitutomarangoni.co Alice, Ginevra, Rossella G. Poised
At panel, Adriana, Beatrice, Francesca, Ginevra, and Ilaria are praised for their performances. Bruna is advised to give more expression and show more spunk to stand out. Valeria is reprimanded for her runway poses, and Giulia is criticized for looking lifeless and tense. Benedetta is reduced to tears after receiving negative reviews for not looking like a model and seeming out of place on the catwalk. She tries to convince the judges that she is there to learn. Alice is deemed bored and emotionless by Antonia. Rossella B. and Veronica receive mixed reviews, while Rossella G. is scolded for not being mentally present.
In the end, Natasha calls Adriana, Ginevra, and Ilaria as the three best performers, with Ginevra being at the top of the pack for her weekly performance on the catwalk. Benedetta and Giulia land in the bottom two for their unconvincing walks and poor presence on the runway. Ultimately, Giulia is eliminated.
Bottom two: Benedetta Piscitelli & Giulia Danieli Eliminated: Giulia Danieli Featured guest: Silvia Dimitrova, fashion model Featured designers: Giulia Caserta, Silvia Gaviraghi, Gian Marco Iannello, Anna Mignanego, Marco Pasquali
Episode 4 First aired 13 April 2011
The girls are sent to the gym for their physical assessment and weekly training. Valeria complains that she doesn't have a good relationship with physical activity and is not enthusiastic about doing her exercises.
Back at their house, the girls find a letter written by Michael, who inspected the rooms during their absence and found them dirty and untidy. As a result, Alice and Ilaria are assigned the task of supervising the general house cleaning. After the girls complete their domestic work, Michael announces that they will be taking part in their weekly reward challenge. Antonia also arrives, bringing her private collection of outfits created by famous designers. Michael explains that each girl will wear one of the outfits and pose while he takes Polaroid shots to evaluate which contestant shows the best posing skills.
After their performance, Michael and Antonia choose Alice as the winner of the challenge. She is given two options: she can either receive a washing machine to simplify their housework or have a five-minute phone call home, while each of the other girls will get a one-minute call. Alice chooses the latter, and tears are shed when the contestants get to speak to their loved ones. Some girls, like Adriana, Francesca, and Ginevra, refuse to call home to avoid getting emotional.