Nigel Barker

Role: Judge/Photographer (2+) 

Barker was born in London and educated in the English countryside. His introduction to the fashion industry was in the mid 1980s when he appeared on "The Clothes Show," a televised model search in England. This launched his successful modeling career, which took him all over the world working for fashion giants such as Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Gaultier, Kenzo, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren.

After a decade in front of the camera, Barker followed his dream to become a photographer and moved to the other side of the lens. By 1996, Barker had launched his own photo studio, Studio NB, in Manhattan's fashionable Meat Packing District.

Model couple Cristen Chin, and Nigel Barker met back on September 1994 through Barker's friend and agent in Milan. Barker knew immediately he had met the woman of his life. But it took him two months to convince Chin that he "was worthy" before she agreed to become his girlfriend. To prove just how serious he was, Barker moved from his native England to Paris, where Chin was living, and when she decided to move to New York, he followed her again. After three years of dating, Chin -- who has recently been seen in Glamour, Cosmopolitan and French Vogue, they got married in October 16th, 2001, in Fairhope, in Alabama where she's from.

Nowadays, Nigel Barker is a renowned high fashion photographer, makes his debut as a expert judge on AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL in January 2004 on UPN channel network.

Barker's work has appeared in a wide variety of publications such as Oyster, Interview, Paper Mag, (t)here, Black & White, Instinct, Forum, Angeleno and Playboy, among others. Barker's clients include Saks Fifth Avenue, Nicole Miller, Gortex and Bulgari, to list a few.