Kristina Bellagente always loved hair but wasn’t sure that she wanted to work in a salon. So she found a job in the industry that suits her perfectly, becoming an Extensions Specialist at Pacific Hair Extensions. Now she delivers bespoke extensions solutions to clients who want added length and thickness, and clients who need additional coverage after suffering from unwanted hair loss.  

“Working here makes you aware of the reality a lot of people face,” she explains. “We specialise in extensions and hairpieces, so we have many clients who suffer from different types of hair loss. We have clients who have naturally thin or fine hair and want that extra body, and clients who suffer from many different types of hair loss due to alopecia or who are going through chemotherapy. It feels really great to be able to make them all feel confident and put a smile on their face, no matter what their reason for coming to us is.” 

It was only natural that Kristina would end up in the Extensions business. Growing up in Victoria, she was the teenager whose hair always had to look perfect. Soon after graduating high school she secured a job for herself doing clip in extensions (and, for a brief time, tape in extensions) with Luxury Hair. 

“I started out doing extensions, selling styling tools and hair product with Luxury,” continues Kristina, “and I ended up travelling with them doing promotional tours and trade shows. I worked for Luxury for two years and really enjoyed my time with them, but I always knew I wanted to learn colour and cutting. I wanted to be able to do everything, so I realized it was time to go to hair school and get professional training.

“When I started looking into hair schools the only place that offered extensions in its curriculum at that time was Blanche Macdonald. I thought, why not move from Victoria to Vancouver for a year? Vancouver is amazing!” 

Kristina took the ferry across the Georgia Straight and began her Hair School adventure. Like the styles and techniques she was learning, the education was transformative. 

“I felt myself changing a lot. I became more confident. I’ve always been outgoing and felt like I had potential. At Hair School that potential came to the surface. I knew I was doing what I loved and that it would be my career. In that first level at Blanche Macdonald you start learning about the client-stylist relationship. And they never let you forget that throughout the course.  

“The most exciting part to me was the extensions level. The only methods I’d done with Luxury Hair were clip in and tape in extensions. At Blanche Macdonald we learned braiding, the technique we do at Pacific, and we learned how to do fusions and microlink extensions. It was all really great. Everyone at Hair School gets excited about different parts of the program. The instructors can definitely tell which aspects of the course you enjoy the most and a lot of people love cutting or colour. I liked doing those things, but I’d light up when people started talking about extensions. I remember coming into the school salon one day when another student had a client for extensions booked in. She didn’t want to do it and I was like, ‘I’ll do it!’” 

Alongside her amazing hair training, the Blanche Macdonald Pro Hair Instructors also provided Kristina with a suggestion of where she could begin her career with a job that suited her perfectly. 

“I just couldn’t see myself being a normal stylist,” she admits. “So Jeff Ranger told me about this company called Pacific Hair Extensions. I came in, dropped my résumé off and got a call back to come in for an interview. They told me that this isn’t a job for everybody. You have to really love extensions to do this. I knew right away this was exactly where I wanted to work.”

Pacific was looking for a stylist who loved extensions. Once they found Kristina, they stopped looking. 

“My initial impression of Kristina was that she’s a young woman who pays meticulous attention to presenting herself as a professional,” explains Yanie Sesay, the owner of Pacific Hair Extensions. “I was struck by how genuinely interested she was in our clients, both in terms of technically providing the best service she can offer, as well as being a friend and lending an empathetic ear during trying times. Kristina quickly became an invaluable member our team.

“Working with Kristina on a day-to-day basis is an immense treat for me. I've been in this business for a long time and it’s a rarity to come across a young person who is not only conscientious in the way they present themselves, but consistently supportive of their team and of her clients. Providing a host of services for clients undergoing medical and aesthetic hair loss can be quite challenging at times. Our roles run the gamut from advising clients of the best timing for wig fittings after chemotherapy, to helping a movie star in Vancouver for a week with her meticulously placed faux-hawk extensions. Kristina is very adept at switching from these various roles, in a way that leaves the clients feeling beautiful and confident.” 

“Discretion is one of our major goals at Pacific Hair, which is one of the reasons we offer all private rooms,” continues Kristina. “We want to make coming here almost like a spa experience. It’s a very personal service and for some clients, it can be like therapy for them. We like to make our clients feel as comfortable as possible and know that we are all here to make them happy and feel as though they can really open up to us. I know a lot of stylists have that close relationship with clients, but here it’s taking it to another level. I’m always myself no matter who the client is. They say I’m easy to talk to and it feels amazing to have that kind of responsibility. It’s almost like they can talk to us like they’d talk to their doctor. Of course, we’re not doctors, so if we do notice something like accelerated hair loss, we’ll recommend that they see their doctor. Any hairdresser should do that though. We might notice it more, because we see clients every six to eight weeks.”

It’s no surprise that clients are falling for Kristina. She’s bursting with enthusiasm for her work, both for the challenge and creativity that each new head requires, and for the results and happiness her work is producing.   

“I love to see the transformation!” she beams. “Our work looks so real you’d have no idea they’re extensions. I came here straight from Hair School, and to get the feedback that I’ve been getting is incredible. I’m seeing my results so soon and it feels really good. We have clients coming from Vancouver Island and even the States to see us. The quality here is unbelievable. I’ve been working with extensions for a few years and this is the highest quality hair that I’ve seen. When people have been wearing wigs, hair pieces or extensions for a long time and they finally discover us, they’re like, ‘Why haven’t I come here sooner?’”

Evan Clayton can remember the exact moment that he decided to become a Fashion Designer. Its memory is still the motivation behind every aspect of his design life.

“I was watching Fashion TV back when I was in high school,” he explains, “and they were profiling an Alexander McQueen show, ‘In Memory of Elizabeth Howe’, from Fall 2007, which was inspired by the Salem Witch Trials. Back then I was a little emo goth kid so I was instantly interested in witches and paganism. The day I saw that show I saw every other show of his I could on YouTube. As I started to learn more about Alexander McQueen and saw more of his shows, his work really spoke to me. A lot of people think fashion is something very superficial. But to me, fashion is a high art form. The designers I’ve come to admire and respect see it the same way and treat fashion as a narrative, which is what I like to do with my work too.”

Evan’s fine art approach to fashion is winning him fans around the world. The Blanche Macdonald Fashion Design graduate received a four-season sponsorship to show his collections at Vancouver Fashion Week, which in turn has led to appearances on the web sites of some of the world’s most prestigious fashion magazines, including Glamour and British Vogue, and an invitation to show a collection at Austria’s Vienna Fashion Week.

For the young man from the Kootenay region of the BC interior, it’s already been an incredible journey.

“I spent a lot of my teenage years in Fruitvale, which is the opposite of a fashion hub. But fashion was always part of me. I worked at Bootlegger there for five years. It was the only place in town that had anything to do with fashion. I would grab every copy of Vogue I could get my hands on and I took as many art courses as my tiny high school in Trail offered.”

Having been inspired by Alexander McQueen, after graduating from high school Evan’s only question was where he’d go for his fashion education. 

“I looked at a lot of fashion schools, but there was something about Blanche Macdonald that stood out to me. My Admissions Director, Mary Hombrebueno, is a wonderful person. She put me at ease and showed me a path that I wanted to go down. The campus was beautiful, and meeting Peggy Morrison and finding out that she was from Trail was the cherry on the top.”

When Evan arrived at Canada’s #1 Fashion School he was only 18. But he had big ideas and, even more importantly, a willingness to push himself.

“I struggled with Pattern Drafting during the first semester,” he admits. “At the same time, I was used to grabbing every source of fashion I could growing up, so having Peggy’s Fashion Elements and Fashion Awareness classes hone that database was really enjoyable. I loved all her stories and the wonderful gifts she’d bring into class. It was incredible. After that I really got into the swing of the program.

“For the Graduate Fashion Show my collection was called Artemis and Apollo. It was a play on a traditional masculine figure – Apollo being a masculine figure who’s the god of music, and Artemis being a beautiful woman who’s the goddess of the hunt. I was interested in the gender juxtaposition. I really pushed myself to work with fabrics I’d never worked with before. I wanted to learn as much as I could. I did things with my grad collection that my sewing instructor, Brenda Swinglehurst, had never even seen before, like a whole dress made from moulded leather. The night of the show was wonderful. I loved it! It was a rush that I’d never had before. It was breathtaking.”

Evan didn’t have a design position to step into after he graduated. Crucially however, he kept working in the fashion industry. And he kept designing.

“I took a job at Holt Renfrew and started learning the business side of fashion. A few months later I saw photos from David Jack’s show, loved it and got in touch asking if he wanted an intern. He called me a month later and we did a couture gown together made of bathroom tissue for the White Cashmere Collection.

“My boyfriend works with Smashbox Cosmetics, and he got me a job coordinating the Makeup for Fashion Week. I guess they could see my drive and how hard I worked. Jamal Abdourahman who runs Vancouver Fashion Week saw my work, and on the strength of five or six sketches, he offered me a four-season sponsorship. I was totally blown away. If someone’s giving you a golden opportunity, you’re not going to half-ass it.”

Evan wanted to make a splash with his first Vancouver Fashion Week collection. He succeeded.

“My first collection was called The Fall of Joan and was inspired by a Lady Gaga song, ‘Princess Die,’ about the death of the modern superstar and her rebirth. I took that theme and applied it to the story of Joan of Arc. I read a lot and watched a lot of documentaries to learn what kind of woman she was and her change of moods leading up to her execution. There were 16 looks and about 43 pieces. I wanted to shock people. I wanted people to remember me. I had gas masks and fake blood coming out of the models’ mouths.”

Even though he’d graduated a year and a half earlier, Evan was still benefitting from the wisdom of the team at Blanche Macdonald.

“I still talk to Mel Watts all the time. I always show her the collection before it goes on the runway. She always steers me in the path that she thinks is best. And she’s always right. After my first season she told me to tone down the theatrics. I wanted blood and half-naked girls. She told me that I needed to show that I could design clothes. It was great advice.”

Evan took that advice and created a collection that’s been generating a buzz around the world. 

“The collection was called Jenova. It was inspired by Yoshitaka Amano, an artist for the Final Fantasy series. I played Final Fantasy an embarrassing amount as a kid! Jenova is a character in the series who is both male and female. That masculine/feminine thing that something I play with a lot in my work. The collection was about unity through difference. I know people say I make theatrical, unwearable clothes. So I wanted to prove them wrong, and show that I’m not just a showman. I’m a designer too.

“That collection made me the first recipient of the Nancy Mak Award. She was a big part of launching Vancouver Fashion Week. The Vienna and the Vancouver Fashion Weeks are sending each other designers, and I was nominated to go over there. I was getting the girls together moments before the show, and with no warning I was told to go on stage to make a speech because I’d just won a sponsorship to show in Vienna. That was the first I knew about it. I cried for a few minutes, then got on stage, made a complete ass of myself, then did the show.”

On runways and on line around the world, Evan is following in the footsteps of his hero Alexander McQueen. There’s a long way to go, but he’s on the right path.

“I feel like I’m taking baby steps,” he smiles. “I’m just starting and I know I have more to offer as an artist and a designer. With these wonderful opportunities I’m going to take leaps and bounds. It’s not my time yet, but it’s coming soon.”

Photos provided by: Evan Clayton (@evan_clayton), Photographers Viranlly for Style Calling, Eugene Flores, Mike Phang and Yiheng Su for Vancouver Fashion Week, Victoria Radbourne, HUSH Magazine, Style by Fire, Style Nine to Five, and @otthobot.

A mantelpiece full of Bridal Makeup Awards hasn’t changed Blanche Macdonald graduate-turned-instructor Jayna Marie’s approach to her work in the slightest. It’s still always all about the bride.

“Working with a bride on her wedding day is a lot of pressure and I don’t take it lightly,” insists Jayna. “It’s her very own red carpet moment and I’m honoured to be a part of it all. I’ve had some clients rearrange the timings or even the dates of their weddings to book me. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been flown to do weddings in Mexico, Thailand and the Dominican Republic. Women take their bridal hair and makeup seriously. They might gamble with their florist or food, but not with how they look.”

Jayna now works with almost 200 brides a year as one of BC’s best Bridal Makeup Artists. She’s been nationally recognized by Weddingbells Magazine as one of Canada’s top 12 bridal hairstylists, she’s received the Bride’s Choice Award by WeddingWire.com four years in a row and she’s been named as one of the best in her field by Wedluxe, Aislewalk and the BC Wedding Awards.

Jayna’s success wasn’t part of some long-term master plan. Growing up in Kelowna she had no idea a career as a full-time Makeup Artist was even a possibility, even though her passion for transformation started at a young age.

“I remember in Grade 5 my parents got a call from the school. Apparently my principle thought putting blue dollar store eye shadow on everyone was inappropriate behaviour. I remember watching makeovers on Oprah and they recommended putting bronzer below your jaw line to hide a double chin. I had chubby cheeks, so I made a beeline to my Mom’s bathroom and snuck into her makeup bag to try it out on myself. Then, when I was 13 my Mom took me to a counter and I learnt how to do makeup properly. After that, I was the girl who did all my friends makeup for dances or events. I usually went looking the worst, because I’d spend so much time getting everyone else ready. It was all just fun. I had no idea it was a respectable career option.”

Jayna’s original plan was to be a teacher. She was preparing for the classroom at the University in Kelowna, but Makeup kept getting in the way.

“I was getting totally distracted,” she laughs. “I was always giving makeovers to friends. One day I searched for makeup artistry on line and Blanche Macdonald came up. It completely blew my mind! So I came to Vancouver too see the school for myself.

“I realised I had to move to Vancouver so I sold everything I owned, including my grandmother’s home which I had just purchased. It was a huge sacrifice, but I knew I had to do it. When I finally came to Blanche, I had so much fire in my gut because I’d given up so much to get there. I was ready to hustle.”

Jayna arrived at Canada’s #1 Makeup School thinking that she’d still be a teacher who’d supplement her income doing Bridal Makeup in the summer. That plan soon changed.

“Coming to Blanche Macdonald was everything I hoped it would be and more! Every module and every teacher gave me new ideas and new inspiration. I appreciated how they prepared their students for the business of being a makeup artist. A month hasn’t gone by where I haven’t used or thought back to something I heard in class. When I came to Blanche Macdonald I understood how a finished makeup should look and where everything needed to go, but I didn’t know what all the individual tools and products were for and how to use them appropriately. I suddenly felt like I had all this extra ammunition and all these extra tricks up my sleeve.”

Jayna also knew that the benefits of a Blanche Macdonald education could go far beyond what she learnt in class.

“I knew that connecting with teachers was going to be where it was at. I wanted to graduate with a ton of connections and a full portfolio. I connected with Heather Sosa and the Career Directors. And every teacher I had, I tried to let them know how passionate I was. I wanted the extra critique. I connected with commercial photographers to build my portfolio. I was booking weddings, doing anything to get practice and experience. There was a lot going on.”

Jayna’s Makeup Fundamentals Instructor, Lesley Opheim, told her that if a Makeup Artist became good enough at Bridal Makeup, they’d be working all year round. Jayna didn’t believe her. Until the numbers proved that Lesley was right. 

“I did some retail. I worked at Estée Lauder, Benefit Cosmetics, Lancôme and Bobbi Brown. At some point I realised that lines were asking me to do demos and I could rarely make it because I had bridal clients. I was just too busy. The year I was at Makeup School I did 15 weddings. The year I graduated I did 36. The year after that it was over 80. Now I do close to 200 a year. Every day I eat, sleep and breathe weddings.”

Jayna’s award-winning artistry speaks for itself. But she insists that it’s her communication skills that keep creating new clients.

“The bride needs to be comfortable to be able to tell her artist how she feels about the way she looks. She should be able to tell me if she doesn’t like something. We should be a team creating something that she loves. What I think will work is not always the be all and end all. It’s not their job to make me feel good about what I’ve done. It’s my job to make them feel good about how they look.

“I know what’s important and what isn’t. And I feel personally responsible for my bride having fun. I try to make sure that when we’re done she feels gorgeous and we’ve had fun. I want brides to love, love, love how they look! So I wait until I get that honest reaction where I know they love what I’ve done. You’re not a professional until you can make the pickiest people happy. People sometimes say, I don’t want to work with brides – they’re so picky. Why shouldn’t they be?

“Mothers of the bride are my all-time favourite. They tend to put themselves on the back burner and say, don’t worry about me. I like to joke, ‘Sit down. Shut up. Let me make you look hot.’ A bride on her wedding day isn’t looking at herself. When she sees her Mom looking and feeling beautiful, she knows that it’s a special occasion.”

Jayna’s now sharing her wisdom as an instructor at Blanche Macdonald (when her hectic schedule permits it), teaching résumé and self-promotion, and of course, Bridal Makeup.

“Makeup and teaching, the two things I love, have come together! If students think they don’t want to work on brides I try to change their minds. There’s so much opportunity. Everyone has friends and family who are getting married. If you can communicate with clients, it’s not scary at all. As long as you listen to your client, what is there to be scared of? We’re putting on makeup, not giving them a tattoo. There’s nothing that can’t be changed.”

The support from the Makeup School where her creative adventure begun goes beyond the classroom.

“Blanche Macdonald recommended me as a keynote speaker for The Spa Show, which was such an honour. After that, I was invited to be a keynote speaker in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver next year! I couldn’t believe that even after having graduated so long ago, the School still knew exactly what my strengths and passions were. When you work hard at Blanche Macdonald and let the faculty know what you’re passionate about, they’ll do their best to feed into that. Even now, I’ll contact the Career Directors looking to hire assistants and they’ll know exactly who is interested in doing bridal and they’ll pass those names on to me.

“With assistants, the things I look for are a good personality, reliability and an excitement about learning. I can teach someone how to do a smoky eye, but I can’t teach common sense. I’m all about pulling together a team who help each other out and love what they do. We have extremely early start times most weekends and our clients are counting on us so calling in sick or sleeping in really aren’t options.”

As an artist and a teacher Jayna can do it all. She’s proved that a passion for the job and a great attitude can take a Makeup Artist a long way. Inspiration comes as standard.

“You can have goals, but I don’t think any of us have a cool enough imagination to think of all the things that can happen in our lives. I’ve specialized in bridal work, but I’ve done many beauty and fashion editorials in wedding magazines too. Whatever it is you want to do, there’s something for everyone within the umbrella of makeup. I had no idea I’d be flown around the world or that I would work with Lady Gaga, but the universe has a beautiful way of surprising us when we’re doing what we were meant for.”

Jayna has mastered the art of Bridal Makeup. Blanche Macdonald students know it. And best of all, hundreds of brides and their families know it.

“Working with brides is incredibly rewarding. I have over 200 bosses every year, and I can’t think of many other jobs where, on your way out the door, you get a hug and a tearful ‘Thank you’ from your boss. It’s my job to keep my clients as happy as I can and to stay knowledgeable in regards to the current trends and styles. My work is my life. I’m constantly answering phone calls, promoting my business, searching for assistants, doing photo shoots, networking with wedding planners or magazines. Even on vacation I’ll have my laptop with me so that my brides aren’t more than an email away. There’s a lot of sacrifice involved, which is why you have to love what you do! 

“To do this job you need patience, confidence and humility. Brides change their mind like the wind and can be very selective of every single detail. It’s your confidence that helps them to trust you and what you are doing. Humility is important because you can never be so sure of yourself that it makes a client feel they can’t communicate their concerns. 

“I can create the most beautiful makeup, but the bride needs to be smiling for it to look amazing. Let’s create a loving atmosphere so that you have wonderful memories!”

All photos provided by Jayna Marie.

Tania Becker is a Vancouver hair legend. Every season she travels to work her styling magic backstage at Paris, London, New York and Milan Fashion Weeks, often in tandem with Blanche Macdonald’s own Prince of Fashion Makeup, Jon Hennessey.

When Tania’s not travelling between the World’s fashion hotspots, she’s the Chief Hair Officer at Moods, one of Vancouver’s very best salons. She’s always looking for the city’s top emerging talents. Which is why she hired Blanche Macdonald Pro Hair graduate Freddy Sim.

“Freddy is a spectacular person!” she insists. “He has a lot of drive. We’re all hair geeks at Moods, so we’re drawn to other hair geeks. Being around that energy inspires me. We do hair on the fashion side of things and we’re attracted to people that have that interest. We want people who are inspired by fashion and runway hair.”

“When I was a student I really wanted to do some work experience at Moods,” explains Freddy. “I knew that Tania and her co-owner Chad Taylor would go to the major Fashion Weeks every season and that they’d compete at the Contessa Awards, which is Canada’s biggest hair contest. Fashion styling and hair competitions really excited me. So when I was a student I gave them a call and they had me in for work experience at Moods for four days. On the third day Johanna, one of the stylists, asked me to shampoo her hair. When she started blow-drying herself I asked if she wanted me to do it. She said ‘sure,’ and within 20 minutes I’d done a perfect, smooth bob blow dry. Johanna took a photo, sent it to Tania, and said that she should hire me. I started working here the day after I graduated from Hair School!”

It’s only natural that Freddy’s enthusiasm for hair has taken him to one of Vancouver’s best salons. It was a passion he embraced before he’d even arrived in Canada. 

“I was born and raised in Brunei until I was 18. It’s a small country and it isn’t exactly fashion orientated. But since I was little I’d always dress and do my hair differently than most people there. Why be same when you can be different? 

“I knew I wanted to be a hair stylist since I was a little boy. A lot of people like to go the salon to get their hair washed. It’s not just relaxing, it’s really cheap as well. My Mom loved going to the salon and getting shampooed for half an hour. I would follow her there and loved the atmosphere. I would look at them and try to figure out how they would cut hair, blow-dry and colour. I enjoyed the friendly environment, but I loved the creativity. I found it fascinating. What can you do with someone’s hair? There are a million things you can do. I remember one day my Mom’s stylist said, ‘I can see Freddy becoming a stylist when he grows up.’ She was right!”

Freddy moved to Canada when he was 18 and immediately started exploring his creativity, both as a dancer and an aspiring beauty professional.

“I worked in a clothing store and a Japanese restaurant. I enjoyed providing good customer service but I knew I wasn’t going to become a store manager. I started doing the makeup and hair for my dance friends and people kept telling me I should go to Hair School. I would watch music videos and look at fashion magazines and try to figure out how they achieved the looks.

“At the time my Dad expected me to go to university, but that wasn’t me. Being a hair stylist was always my dream so I was willing to fight for it. I started cutting my family’s hair and they helped persuade my Dad that I should go to hair school.”

Once the decision to attend Hair School had been made, it didn’t take long to choose where he’d be studying.

“Blanche Macdonald has extremely solid training,” explains Tania. “Not only in technical expertise, but in the equally important skills of attitude and work ethic. We hire more people from Blanche Macdonald than any other hair school.”

“It had such a good reputation,” agrees Freddy. “I asked around and my friends knew people who had studied makeup or hair at Blanche Macdonald. People in the fashion industry told me to check it out too, and I could see the quality of the work that they were putting on line. I just went for it!

“Once I was there I took the program seriously, but I wasn’t stressed at all. I had so much fun. I was always excited about what I was going to learn each day. I didn’t have to hand in math homework, so it didn’t feel like school to me. I loved styling, I loved photo shoots and I loved working backstage!”

Freddy’s infectious enthusiasm and natural talent were recognized by his instructors at Hair School, one of whom gave him the ultimate vote of confidence by sitting in his chair to get her hair coloured.

“When we started taking clients in the School Salon I was nervous at first. But every time I finished a cut it wasn’t bad at all. The instructors trusted me and I was making clients happy. Tyana Nichole, one of our instructors, was my first ever colour client. She was so confident that I could do it. She sat down and told me to get her coffee and Timbits.

“One day Shashi Seth came into the School Salon and announced that two hair stylists had bailed on a fashion show at the Ferrari dealership downtown and they were looking for volunteers. My instructor suggested me so I guess I was capable. I thought, why not? We took a cab there and suddenly there were nine models staring at me and my classmate Angelina. I felt so happy seeing the models on the runway and thinking ‘I did that hair.’ I realized that this was what I wanted to do. I enjoyed the pressure.”

Now Freddy is relishing the pressure at Moods. Even though he’s surrounded by experienced stylists, many of the salon’s regular clients, inspired by Freddy’s unmistakeable flair and passion, have started personally requesting that he colours, cuts, styles and blow-dries their hair. Back in Brunei, Freddy was inspired by the creative potential of being a hair stylist. Now he realizes that there’s something even more profound at work.

“I thought I liked to do hair because it’s an art and I could show my creativity. So when I started it was all about me, me, me! I still love to do funky, crazy stuff, but once I started working as a stylist, even at Hair School, I realised that it’s not about me. I get satisfaction from doing a good job, but the real pleasure is from the client’s feedback when they love it. They don’t only look pretty. They feel pretty. That means a lot to me. I want to see the big smile on their face. Return clients come back for a reason.” 

Freddy’s just beginning to make his mark in the hair business. He’s come a long way already, but with mentors like Tania and Chad, his creative journey could take him anywhere.

“Chad is amazing,” insists Freddy. “When I came to Moods he personally took over my training. He’s a Stage Artist for Joico's National Artistic Team and an award-winning stylist, so it was inspiring having him bring the strong foundation I had from Hair School to the next level. 

“There’s still so much to learn. The minute you stop making mistakes is the minute you stop learning. Obviously a hair stylist doesn’t want to make mistakes, but you have to try to push yourself and do your best. Trust yourself! Fashion is changing so fast and everyone’s hair is different. I work with stylists who have 20 years experience and we’re all still learning.

“Don’t doubt your vision. Whatever the vision is, you can achieve it! If you don’t do it you’ll never know how amazing it could turn out. Stay motivated, stay passionate and stay humble!”

Skincare. Makeup. Fragrances. As Western Regional Trainer for Elizabeth Arden, Alisa Usher does it all. And whether she’s in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba, the Blanche Macdonald Esthetics School graduate does everything with a big smile on her face. 

“As beauty professionals we’re in one of the most rewarding professions there is,” she smiles. “Our goal at Elizabeth Arden is to allow women to see themselves as beautiful. As professionals we want to create positive conversations that are focussed on attainable benefits, knowing that the products we suggest can lead to a lifetime of healthy and beautiful skin. We’re here to make people happy. So let’s have fun with it!” 

Fun is fundamental to Alisa’s work. As an Elizabeth Arden Regional Trainer she’s regularly travelling from Vancouver Island to Winnipeg and every major city in between conducting daylong schools with makeup and skincare experts from stores like Sears, The Bay, London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart. Whether she’s detailing new product launches or developing customer loyalty techniques, entertainment comes as standard. 

“I say that there are three things that make a successful school,” she continues. “One, you learn a few things that you can take back and apply to your role immediately. Two, you have a good laugh. And three, you leave full of food. Learning all the ingredients in a product can be simple. It’s everything else in our role as Beauty Professionals that can be challenging. We do a lot of workshops and role-play, and we have some very open discussions. It’s always a packed day.”

Growing up in New Westminster, Alisa was receiving her own makeup, hair and skincare education from a young age, as her mother and grandmother were both beauty professionals. Having decided that she would explore the business for herself, Alisa started investigating the schools of Vancouver.

“The minute I walked into the City Square campus I knew Blanche Macdonald was the place for me. I felt like I could be a part of it. I was blown away by the glamorous energy there. I was interested in Makeup and Esthetics. I was 11 or 12 when my Mom got me onto skincare, so I knew how important it was. I wasn’t academically inclined at high school, but the ingredients and technology in skincare products fascinated me. I’d go to spas with my family. So it all made sense.”

Choosing to study Esthetics rather than Makeup, Alisa was happy to find herself on a spa therapy program that was providing more than an education. It made her feel great too.

“Esthetics school was awesome! The teachers gave you their energy and personality. It wasn’t cookie cutter. They weren’t going by a textbook. It was realistic and it made sense.

“Debbie Nickel was the Program Director then. Even though she had a lot to look after, she always had her door open and the time to speak to me. And she always remembered the exact details of what we’d discussed the previous time we’d spoken. People like her confirmed that this was what I wanted to do. I was only 18. I knew I could go anywhere.”

Alisa went straight from Vancouver’s best Esthetics School to a job at one of the city’s top spas, Aveda Eccotique.

“I absolutely loved it,” she smiles. “It was rewarding to give my energy to a client. Their skin looked great or their muscles were relaxed, and afterwards I’d feel amazing that I’d given that experience to someone. Even then, I knew I wanted more. I wanted to do my own thing.”

Determined to develop her business and esthetics skills, Alisa began working as a Cosmetician/Esthetician at a Coquitlam area branch of Shoppers Drug Mart.

“The training program at Shoppers is amazing because you learn about all these brands. And the first training session I ever went to was Elizabeth Arden. Cindy Clark was my manager at Shoppers, and she became a big mentor for me. She saw that I had growth potential and let me develop my skills and utilize my esthetics knowledge. I was obsessed with eyebrows, so I created ‘Eyebrows 101’ where I would go into other Shoppers branches with my own marketing material, stuff they could put on their counter, and get them to book appointments for me. I’d spend a couple of days a month telling people how to look after their eyebrows using the tools we sold at Shoppers. I realized that I loved educating clients.”

Cindy knew that Alisa was ready to make the step into management, and was happy when her protégé left Shoppers for a counter manager position at The Bay with Clarins. Alisa soon figured out the philosophy she’d need to succeed at the management level.

“I wanted to be number one; in sales and everything else. I tried to be the superstar and it didn’t work. I learned that to be number one I had to align myself to the right people and make my team successful first. I realized that I had to put my team on a pedestal and make them happy. I had to put myself last.”

Alisa continued moving upwards within the industry, moving to Holt Renfrew and soon being promoted to the position of Sales Manager. As much as she enjoyed the sales-focused challenge of Vancouver’s leading luxury retailer, she craved the excitement that came with creating, developing and inspiring sales teams.

“On Linkedin I saw that Elizabeth Arden had a posting, so I put in my résumé and started the interview process. I got the job and I’m still pinching myself! 

“I love that I can have a group of beauty advisors in one room and we all have the same passion about what we do. I can go to different cities and I always see the same excitement. They always tell me they learn so much. That’s amazing to me. I’m real. Let’s get together and keep it informal. Apparently I get very animated and funny! I like to encourage beauty professionals to discuss what’s happening in their stores. Let’s have an open discussion about our industry and give people tangible concepts they can really use. I’ll ask them to try one thing that they learned at school and apply it immediately in their stores.

“The most challenging thing in our industry is loyalty. The marketplace is saturated. Why is someone going to come to you and not your neighbour? It’s not just generic customer service. It’s a connection. People want to trust you. People buy you before they buy the products. You have to show clients that you want to help them. You need to put them first. You should have a desire to put that customer on a pedestal.”

Alisa has inspired beauty professionals across Western Canada. Now she’s defining the standards for the entire Nation.  

“I had discussed with Elizabeth Arden that we need to provide consistent facial treatments everywhere the line is sold, and they were very supportive, encouraging me to develop these service standards across Canada. I went to our Head Office in New York to learn about Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas, which are amazing retreats in the States. Then I worked with our Canadian Head Office in Toronto developing the protocols for our facial services in Canada. How can we take what the Red Door Spas do and make it specific for the Canadian market? It was exhilarating to focus on facials and customer engagement.”

Whether she’s teaching colleagues or new beauty professionals, Alisa’s approach to education continues to be inspired by the lessons she learned at Canada’s #1 Esthetics School.

“The teaching style at Blanche Macdonald was straightforward, honest and candid. The School is glamorous but the classes were never stuffy. I took that teaching style because I could see that it works!”

Natacha Trottier’s artistry speaks for itself. She’s a two-time 1st Place Winner at Vancouver’s prestigious Art World Expo Body Painting Competition. She’s worked on commercial campaigns and corporate shoots for major brands and organisations. She’s an IATSE union permittee with a growing list of credits ranging from TV shows like Untold Stories of the ER to award-winning videos for Canadian hip hop icon Madchild. And she’s an in-demand Demo Artist for Lancôme who still finds the time to regularly produce creative shoots with some of Vancouver’s top photographers.

“I need to be very busy the entire time,” laughs the Quebec native. “I like to go through with things too. I don’t like saying no.”

This no fear attitude to creativity has been with Natacha long before she decided to study at Canada’s #1 Makeup School.

“I knew I would be an artist,” she continues. “I just didn’t know what kind of artist. When I was little I would paint on the walls of my bedroom. I would steal my Mom’s Halloween makeup. I would paint my face, my dolls, my dog! Anything I could find!”

The dog recovered from its makeover and Natacha’s natural artistic affinities were honed when she took a Makeup Course at college, the stage between high school and university in Quebec. With the basics under her belt she moved to Alberta and started working as a bridal Makeup Artist. That’s when fate stepped in.

“I had a mountain bike accident, hurt my hand and couldn’t continue working. Everything happens for a reason, so I started thinking about focussing on Fashion Makeup. I wanted to start a company with a friend. I did Makeup and she did hair. She told me that it would be useful if I had a diploma, because people would often ask for it. That’s when I decided to come to Makeup School. I would see all these crazy makeups in movies and magazines and wonder how they did that. I looked online and Blanche Macdonald was the first school that came up. I was so happy with what I saw. I didn’t search further than that.”

Natacha moved to Vancouver and was immediately dazzled by the array of potential career directions.

“I thought I wanted to do film, but I loved fashion makeup too. I’m one of those people who’ll never be able to decide entirely. I wanted to do it all. Which is what I’m doing!

“I really liked my instructors. I felt like I was in good hands and they were sharing all their experience with me. My absolute favourite instructors were Jon Hennessey and Cory Roberts. Good teachers explain, but great teachers inspire and made me dream of what was possible. I love Cory’s energy. She’s so passionate!”

Makeup School opened up a world of options. And opportunities.

“I was doing a lot of volunteer work, which led to meeting Diane Webster from Lancôme. She liked me and hired me on my first day volunteering at Sears Downtown when I was still a student. I love the Company. They’re the best employers a Demo Artist could dream for. To this day, when they have a big Makeup event they always give me a call.”

Inspired by the creativity around her, Natacha started exploring the boundaries of body painting artistry.

“I’d done some body painting back when I was in Quebec. We were sent to a bar where we painted all the staff at Halloween two years in a row. When I came to Blanche Macdonald I did two full body paints. One was a girl with visible bones and flesh, like her skin had been peeled. The other was a reproduction of Gustav Klimt’s famous painting, The Kiss.” 

Drawn to body painting’s expanded human canvas, once Natacha heard about the Art World Expo, she had to be involved. Now she’s a two-time Champion.

“A photographer friend, Patrick Parenteau, suggested I try entering the Art World Expo Competition. I didn’t feel like I had what it took but he convinced me otherwise.

“Last year the theme was ‘Italian Love Affair’. I was inspired by the Italian church and the operatic, theatrical religious imagery of the Vatican. I incorporated gothic art and gold and red colours into my design, along with a high wig and the classic pale face from the opera. I was surprised and happy when they announced the results. And the $500 first prize wasn’t bad either. This year the theme was ‘Circus’. I was inspired by the old circus fashion from the turn of the last century. I took that idea and tried to see how far I could take it.

“I love the fact that you do the makeup, and a few hours later it’s gone when people wash it off. That really makes it so special for me. Body painting is extra special because you have to work around the curves of your model. A canvas is a flat surface. But someone’s body or face is always different. You have to adapt yourself to the skin and the texture. Painting a body can take hours, and then it’s done. It’s like a flower that only blooms for a day once every few years. It’s sad, but it makes it even more special. Body painting is rare and different. It’s not something people see every day.”

Art is everything to Natacha. It continues to inspire and drive her to new creative heights.

“It’s rare that people will approach you asking if you want to do a really creative photo shoot,” she explains. “So it’s up to me to approach photographers and models and seeing if they’re into it. I’ve been working with a few photographers in Vancouver that I really like. There’s Patrick Parenteau, naturally. I’ve been doing a lot of actors’ headshots with Natalia Anja. And I just started working with Franco Valerio and Gabby Saliba. I try to do at least one creative shoot a month. One a week, or one every day would be even better. That’s what I’m hoping for. Although I can’t complain. I get to do makeup every day. I’m doing what I love, which is awesome!” 

Pushing her artistic boundaries, along with the opportunities that come from brushes in the worlds of TV and film, retail, and commercial and creative fashion shoots, means that Natacha has a bright and broad future ahead of her. What sets her apart? She has her own ideas.

“It’s my cute French accent!” she laughs. “Seriously though, I think it’s my passion. I’m so driven by this work. People like that. Sometimes it inspires them to be more creative too. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do this. If you have an idea, go for it and work for it. It’s not going to be easy. But this is such a cool career it’s worth working for. I wake up during the night to write down ideas. I want to share that passion. I love it so much. I like to go out of my way to make something spectacular. Even though I don’t paint my dogs any more!” 

If there’s one piece of advice Aubrey Bonnah-Vink would pass on to aspiring hair professionals, it’s aim high. Hailing from the tiny town of Beaumont, Alberta, Aubrey’s refusal to settle for second best has taken her from Canada’s #1 Hair School to Avant Garde Hair Studios, one of Vancouver’s leading salons, which in turn has led to her being named as one of the country’s Top Ten New Hair Talents at the prestigious Contessa Awards. 

Her philosophy is simple. If you’re going to pursue something, why not pursue it to the very best of your abilities? 

“Nearing the end of high school I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go in,” she explains. “I took hair and cosmetology in high school. I also took welding, which I wasn’t very good at. But I was good at hair styling! When our cosmetology teacher Miss Summers started bringing in beauty industry guest speakers I realized that I could see myself doing this professionally. I really liked the idea of travelling and meeting people” 

Having already learned the basics, Aubrey was eager to ensure that her next step would take her straight into the heart of the hair industry. 

“I’d started doing hair for friends and family while I was still at high school, but I knew that if I was going to do this as a career I wouldn’t just want to work in my little town. I wanted to be really good. I Googled ‘Top Hair School in Canada’ and Blanche Macdonald came up. I thought, ‘That’s where I’m going,’ even though I had never been to Vancouver before.” 

Fresh out of high school but eager to write the next chapter in her life, Aubrey soon discovered that Blanche Macdonald’s high-end hair training was exactly what she’d been hoping for. 

“The first couple of levels were more detailed and theory-based than what I’d learned in high school, which was exactly what I was looking for in terms of becoming a professional. And I really liked when we got into the TV and Film module and the photo shoots. Of course I like being behind the chair, but I wanted the extras too. Blanche Macdonald gives you a broad spectrum of what you can do. It’s real life education. The instructors did a really good job of making sure everyone would keep an eye on their clients and be professional the entire time. I was totally out of my comfort zone coming to Vancouver from Alberta. I didn’t know anyone. My classmates became my friends and family but I still had to branch out on my own to get clients and models to practice on. That helped me once I graduated. I learned how to communicate with strangers and persuade them to sit in my chair.” 

Looking for a salon to begin the work experience section of the program, Aubrey was again searching for the very best.

“I was looking through the list of salons and talking to one of the instructors. I said, ‘On this list, which is number one?’ He said, ‘You have to go to Avant Garde and work with Jon Paul Holt. You’ll love it.’ So I called Avant Garde right away and they asked me in for four days. It was the craziest time. Tuesday through Saturday it’s packed. It was survival mode. ‘Can you shampoo my client?’ ‘Can you do a blow dry?’ They knew how good Blanche Macdonald is and they trusted me to do whatever they asked even though I was still a student. I loved it!”

Aubrey had discovered her dream salon at her first stop. Her next task was winning a job there.

“I knew I needed to get on Jon Paul’s team of stylists that worked on all the photo shoot and fashion jobs. So I volunteered like crazy for five months, Every time they had a shoot, I was there. It was like, ‘Remember me? I’m here helping again!’ Students should volunteer for as many projects as they can. It will pay off in the future.

“One day Jon Paul asked me to go for coffee. I didn’t even think he knew my name. He said, ‘Do you want the position helping me or what?’ and I started at Avant Garde as his assistant right after I graduated. I’d shampoo and blow-dry every client for him, then graduated into doing the colour applications. I got involved with the front desk managing, choosing and ordering our products, and planning with photographers and designers for our creative projects. It was teaching me to build relationships and manage a shop. Jon Paul has done so much for me in my career, from constantly pushing me to think outside the box, never letting me settle for anything less than what he knows is my best and teaching me what it means to be a business owner. I’m so grateful and lucky to have him supporting me.”

That was two years ago. Now Aubrey’s one of Avant Garde’s team of Stylists with a full schedule of clients and keeping beyond busy exploring every avenue of the hair industry. 

“It sounds cliché but I love my job. We’re an eclectic bunch but we’re also a family. I want to keep moving forward and be involved in as many projects as I can get my hands on.”

At Avant Garde that means a steady stream of fashion shows and creative photo shoots. 

“We work with a lot of local designers and stores, like Nancy Perreault, Leone and Roxanne Nikki. People ask Jon Paul because he’s so well known for his fashion work. He’ll send a team from the salon. At first I was really nervous. But often designers give us a lot of creative freedom. They give us the clothes and we get to do our thing! It can be hectic but I like the time restraints. I can be pretty quick. You learn to be fast when you do weddings. I like the pressure. 

“We do creative shoots here every couple of months too. There are at least ten of us involved, and we always learn new techniques. Each time we have a shoot we pick one or two looks that we want to do. Jon Paul gets together a group of amazing models, photographers and Makeup Artists like the incredible [Blanche Macdonald Makeup Instructor] Jennifer Little. Music is blasting. Champagne is flowing. It’s a lot of creative people getting together, having fun and inspiring each other.” 

Aubrey’s artistry is going beyond shoots and the salon. She’s also helping the community.

“We work with the Artist for Kids Foundation every year prepping professional models for the student photographers to use for their projects. This past year I also organized a charity event with my co-worker Heather Reinbolt called ‘Styles by Donation’ where we cut and styled hair with some of our fellow stylists at the salon all day. All the proceeds went to the MS Society and BC Cancer Foundation. These charities are close to our hearts because we both have family members that have struggled with these diseases. It was such a success we’re hoping to make it an annual affair.” 

Still only 21, Aubrey is already inspiring her fellow stylists. Internationally renowned hair line Scruples have just selected her to be one of their Canadian education and platform team.

“Scruples were looking to build a team in Canada so they flew me and co-worker Jeffery Hudson to Minneapolis for a week. They showed us a great time and we were able to learn about these great products and try them on models. Now we’re travelling across BC teaching stylists about the brand.”

Shows and shoots. Fashion and education. Aubrey is becoming one of Canada’s rising hair superstars. Still, at the heart of her work is the art of leaving clients delighted.

“It’s nice to meet new people and find out what they’re all about and why they’re in my chair. It’s a relationship you have to build if you want to keep them as clients. You have to make them feel special and enjoy your company.

“I love being busy. I’m always searching and never say no to a project. For me everything is an opportunity!”

Aubrey Bonnah-Vink on Facebook and Instagram @hairbyaubreybv

As the spotlights dimmed on the Blanche Macdonald Centre Spring Graduate Showcase, and the last of the cupcakes were reduced to wrappers, six wonderfully talented and utterly unique up-and-coming Designers were released into the world of Fashion. Each spring the fashion community turns to Blanche Macdonald, as close friends and family gather in the beautiful sun-lit Atelier campus space to fete the launch of the next generation of Fashion Design talent. Blanche Macdonald’s globally lauded standards of education, ever-renewing and flourishing, is known to foster some of the most anticipated artists, many of whom have gone on to become award-winning and internationally successful Designers in the Fashion industry.

“These were brilliant students that all had quite specific voices and pre-existing sensibilities, which is very refreshing to see in people at this stage in their careers; it usually takes designers some time to express their visions that articulately. Also, the technical abilities of this class was particularly high. I think each collection really reflects the essence of who that student is. There was such diversity in this class and they all worked really really hard. There seemed to be a creative camaraderie that allowed students to support and feed off of one another and thoroughly explore the entire design process. It usually takes a more seasoned designer to be that brave,” says Blanche Fashion Director and Creative Consultant, Tyler Udall (whose international credits include Senior Fashion Editor and Contributor in London for publications such as AnOther Magazine, AnOther Man and Dazed and Confused, Contributing Fashion Editor for L’Officiel and Teen Vogue, internationally lauded art photographer, and Creative Director for the Agency Fred and Associates in New York).

Just six months past since the standout Fashion Lyrics Fashion Design Graduate Show, the magnificent upper level of the Atelier Campus was illuminated once again, brimming with music, friends and the tinkling of good tidings for Fashion Design graduates Ciel Wu, Katelyn Woodburn, Frank Wang, Janna Meller, Chantelle Harley, and Cheryl Stelte. Only a few doors down from the Downtown Robson Campus where they honed their creative voice, and spent a year of incredible growth, they presented a select showcase of their debut collection.

International Co-op student Frank Wang, from Taipei had the boys covered. His collection titled ‘Shade of Youth’ was a dark reflection on the expressions of teenage riot and Emo esthetic that saw experimental silhouettes and intriguing manipulations of fabrics. Set in anonymous shades of nightfall, Frank showed boxy tops in sheened fabrics that caught the light in stiff draped folds, and ultra-skinny drainpipe trousers. One pair, constructed of stretch leather, nodded to Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s bondage pants, with a strip crossing over between the legs. The clean constructed jacket it was paired with peaked at the shoulders, and offered a little bit of rebellion that could be safely worn to the office.

For Overall Achievement Award winner Cheryl Stelte, the evening was a coming together, not only of the visions brought about in the sewing lab, but of a dream decades in the making. Inspired by the natural, spiritual, and foreign worlds that she has traveled, Cheryl debuted her line Armaiti with an elegant collection set in thick whites, creams and Statue of Liberty teals. A standout of the presentation was a voluminous paneled coat, with abstract city scapes hand painted onto the hem. Necklines and ornamental pattern insets were framed with the graceful curves of ancient temple entrances, adding a quiet allure to clothes ready to pick straight off the backstage racks. She closed with a brilliant white fitted dress, with airy ‘carwash’ panels that fluttered ethereal about, as her collection took leave of the runway.

For Janna Meller, born in Kazakhstan and raised in Russia, only the most lavish would do. Her collection, inspired by the Russian women she held reverence for in childhood, was made up of 100% Italian cashmere, silks, and gold thread embroidery. Her showstopping bronze bustier sheath and belted cape hit a pitch-perfect note of drama, and demanded an evening spent in dusky luxury. She followed up with a chic camel coloured top with lush mink fur cuffs, paired with a semi-fit skirt for a day strolling the high street, and her finale saw her elaborately embroidered belt, cinching in a beautifully tailored silk-lapelled coat. 

For Taipei native Co-op student Ciel Wu, it was showtime in more ways that one. Her collection ‘Moi Chou Chou’, which earned her the Award in Garment Construction, played upon both her cultural and personal history with the theatre. It told of the love, sacrifice, and transformation of traditional Beijing Opera ‘The White Snake’, a story passed down from the Ming Dynasty. The themes of romance and transformation were immediately apparent; a toothsome mint sweetheart dress was metamorphosized with an asymmetrical peplumed bustier, and held sway on the hearts of every woman in the room. The male counterpart in Ciel’s tale took form in a beautifully tailored linen suit fastened with a bright polka dotted obi and cording, over a poetically embroidered mandarin collar shirt.

Katie Woodburn, designer of the Street and Saddle line and recipient of the Achievement Award in Illustration, led equestrian lifestyle to the runway to galloping success. Her experience as professional equestrian and work with an Olympian rider in Belgium was made evident in the impeccable construction and conscious design of her collection, which saw the melding of horse sport and high fashion. The tailcoat from her second look was made up of an organic fabric of hemp, cotton, and wild nettle, and featured a clever leather interlocking technique that mimicked the braiding of a horse’s tail, and flattered the figure with an hourglass curve. The same technique was repeated in the closing look, on a competition jacket with structured peplum and concealed zip sleeves that allowed the wearer to convert the piece to suit their activity (which was an exciting option for horse and fashion folk alike).

Chantelle Harley romanced the crowd with her lovely bridal collection, which saw looks to fit a bride of any disposition. A polished dress with an short a-line hem and exquisitely beaded neckline announced the presentation, followed by a statuesque full length gown, with an embroidered lace panel wrapped about the back of the waist and set in a godet at the trail that cleverly and tastefully broke with an otherwise modest silhouette. Chantelle closed with a superbly playful two piece ensemble of boned sequin lace bustier with a sheer body, and a full and frothy layered skirt, that had the audience in fits of delight and promised only the most lively of wedding receptions.

On behalf of all of the friends and family of the Blanche Macdonald Centre, we are sending out our heartfelt congratulations and doffing our caps for the Fashion Design graduate class of Spring 2014!!

Many thanks to our wonderful Blanche Macdonald staff, and roster of volunteer students and graduates from the Blanche Macdonald Makeup, Hair, Nail Parlour and Fashion programs whose incredible work backstage, and throughout the year made this show possible. Special mentions to Program Director/Show Coordinator Peggy Morrison, Program Director Donna Baldock, Fashion Director Tyler Udall, Fashion Department Career Director Mel Watts, Pattern Making and Garment Construction Lab Instructor Brenda Swinglehurst, and creative catalyst Lisa Gellert. Special thanks must also go to Blanche Macdonald Centre's President Lily Lim, Instructors Rose Aiello, Emmanuel St. Juste and Wanda Sustersich, Lab Assistants Whitney Phuong, and Hana Chiang, Creative Director Kelly Schmidt, and Host and CurliQue Beauty Q Talent Leader Jaylene McRae.  

Blanche Macdonald's 2014 Spring Fashion Design Graduate Award Winners

Overall Achievement: Cheryl Stelte

Special Achievement in Illustration: Katelyn Woodburn

Special Achievement in Garment Construction: Ciel Wu

Micah Gilbert understands the responsibility that comes with having people in his makeup chair. As a member of the Q Talent team at Blanche Macdonald’s Beauty Boutique, CurliQue Beauty, and as the Key Makeup Artist for CTV Vancouver’s Sunday newscasts, whether he’s creating glamour or on screen professionalism, he knows that makeup can transform more than faces. It can change states of mind too. 

Micah discovered the power of makeup sitting in other artists’ chairs while working as an actor and model in Vancouver. It’s what inspired him to come to Blanche Macdonald and start making magic of his own.

“I had parts in the TV series Noah’s Ark and Godiva’s,” he explains. “In The Chronicles of Riddick I played a Purifier’s Assistant. My soul had been sucked out and I had a pair of prosthetic vents coming out of my neck. Jennifer Folk, who teaches at Blanche Macdonald, was my Makeup Artist for the movie. What she was doing to me seemed so interesting. I’d always ask her loads of questions. She said, ‘why don’t you go into Blanche Macdonald and ask them?’ All the Makeup Artists I knew from my time as an actor either taught at or had gone to Blanche Macdonald, so there was only one choice what school I’d go to.”

Micah came to Canada’s #1 Makeup School with zero experience but an eagerness to learn: a trait welcomed by his fundamentals instructor, CJ Wills. 

“CJ is such a good teacher,” continues Micah. “On my first day she asked us to do a lip with a black liner. I remember touching my classmate’s lip with a pencil for the first time and thinking, what the hell is this? It felt like I was floating on her face. CJ was encouraging but unforgiving too. She’d convince you that you could do it, but if it wasn’t perfect she’d get you to do it again.”

Micah arrived at Blanche Macdonald thinking that his future would lie in Film and TV Makeup. But the more he learned, the more exciting new avenues started appearing.

“With every section of the program I thought, this is what I want to do! I loved how you could transform someone. It doesn’t even have to be a huge amount of makeup. You just bring out their natural beauty. What made it click for me was the way people felt when I was done. It was like I helped that person feel good. Now they’re ready to go!” 

Micah knew that to get his career off to the right start he had to start making connections. With the help of Blanche Macdonald’s Career Directors he began assisting the great Jaylene McRae at Make Up For Ever and NARS. Jaylene’s generous words helped open Micah’s door into a dream job at MAC. 

“I would join Jaylene on Saturdays at The Bay, learning the business and cleaning her brushes. She’s one of the most respected artists in Vancouver and MAC knew that I volunteered with her. They said, ‘if we call Jaylene she’ll say that you’re amazing, right?’ I said ‘absolutely,’ then called her to make sure she knew what to say when they called! I went to work for MAC at the Metrotown location and eventually worked my way into the pro store in Downtown Vancouver.

“I loved my time at MAC. They have amazing products and a crazy level of artistry. I became unafraid of colour. I started taking more of a fashion approach to beauty makeup and getting even more into the transformative element of it. I enjoyed it so much because I was selling something I believed in. That’s not selling to me. I’m a Makeup Artist, and the sales come because I believe in the products I’m using. I’m just sharing what I love. I always tell students when they visit us at CurliQue; if you love the products they sell themselves. You just have to use them properly.”

The MAC store on Robson Street is directly across the road from the CTV Vancouver studios. When the channel goes searching for Makeup Artists, they don’t have far to look.

“Rebecca Simmons from CTV would come into the store to buy products. One day she told me that she needed me to cover a shift for her the next day. I freaked out but at the same time I was like, YES! I say yes to everything. Even if I have no idea how to do it, I’ll figure it out. There will always be someone to help you do it so never say no. Rebecca invited me to see what she did and how she did it. She was so fast! When you’re working in news, you’re expected to do at least four people an hour. With Beauty Makeup that’s the time you’re expected to do one.

“The next day I was on my own and I was trembling as I did it. I must have done ok, because from then I was on call for mornings and weekends, and soon after that I began to be the regular Makeup Artist on Sundays. I’ve had some interesting guests in my chair. Christy Clark came in when she was campaigning. She had a whole entourage with her. I love seeing my work on screen. I’ll see their faces on TV and think, I just did that makeup and now there are thousands of people watching this.” 

Newscasters require subtle makeup. Micah’s work as Key Artist for Vancouver dance instructor Chantal Hunt and her troupe The Stillettoettes requires something different entirely. 

“The Stillettoettes are focussed on empowering women. They start as students and eventually they’ll join the troupe. When they first enrol they’re not used to having their makeup done, which makes it even more exciting for me to go really theatrical and full glam! It goes back to that transformative power of makeup. I’m bringing out their natural beauty but manipulating it to the max to create a more impactful visual experience too.” 

Micah’s been busy since he graduated. When he’s not at CTV or keying The Stillettoetes he’s regularly working at weddings and professional photo shoots, and he always has performers eager to sample his makeup skills at Celebrities nightclub, where he doubles as the Entertainment Manager (“Now they have no choice but to let me do their makeup”). Blanche Macdonald students know and love him for his work at the School’s own makeup magic emporium, CurliQue Beauty. It’s where education and artistry go hand in hand, which suits Micah perfectly. 

“I was happy at MAC, but Jaylene told me that there were a lot of opportunities at CurliQue and I should come in for an informal chat. I was sitting with Jaylene and Gina Hansen, and everything was so polished and beautiful and glamorous. I could see the values they had along with the opportunity to be part of the School I loved. I thought, I want this job!”

Micah’s been a core member of CurliQue’s Q Talent Team ever since, inspiring customers and students with the same attitude and enthusiasm he brought to Blanche Macdonald as a Makeup novice.

“Everything here is connected. You have fashion, makeup, hair, skincare and nails. We all work with each other and it’s all connected to the industry. You’re in a constant flux of artistry and creativity, which is really cool. As an artist, it’s inspiring. You’re present when those things are happening. It can be a whirlwind, and it’s great to get caught up in it.

“I love educating Makeup students. It all goes back to transforming someone. I’m passing on my experience and you can see the spark in someone’s eye when they get it. When they get inspired it’s the most amazing feeling. A few weeks ago I was walking down Davie Street and a student ran up to me and was like, ‘Micah! Micah! I love you so much. I’m really inspired to be an artist and it’s all because of you.’ Even if only 10% of that is true, that’s a great thing to hear. People like Jaylene, CJ and Jon Hennessey inspired me and gave me that spark. If I can do the same for someone else, that’s amazing!”

She’ll deny it of course, but Karissa Pukas is a celebrity. Her beauty, fashion and lifestyle YouTube channel, Saturday Night’s Alrite (now known as Karissa Pukas) and its sibling vlog channel, Sunday Morning’s Ok Too, have over half a million combined subscribers, with fans from all over the world tuning in to see the Blanche Macdonald Fashion Merchandising graduate’s easy-going and honest approach to personal style, makeup and hair tutorials, and life as a Canadian in the sun.

Broadcasting to Planet Earth from her home on the Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia, what started as a hobby is now a full time job. Karissa worked hard and smart to create her popularity. Now she’s converting that fame into collaborations with a growing list of fashion and beauty brands. She’s even launched her own line of eyelashes, SocialEyes. 

“Sure, I’m known on the Internet,” she’ll admit if you push her. “If I go to the shopping centre there’s at least one or two people who’ll say hello and say that they watch my channel. That’s really cool. The first time I was recognised I was in New Zealand in a line up for a Subway. I was ordering a sandwich and the girl behind me recognised my voice from YouTube. That was pretty surreal.” 

If you told Karissa five years ago that’d she’d be an on-line star living and getting recognised on the far side of the world, she’d think you were crazy. Back then a career in fashion and beauty was the last thing on her mind.

“I’m from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, and I was the opposite of a fashionista growing up. I was a little tomboy. The world of fashion and beauty didn’t exist in Salmon Arm. I wouldn’t even wear pink!

“When I was 19 I was living in Vancouver and I really wanted to meet girlfriends because I was new to the city and didn’t really know that many people. I thought getting into fashion and beauty would be a good way of meeting new friends.” 

Karissa’s new pastime coincided with her discovery of a certain Vancouver Fashion School. 

“My cousin introduced me to Blanche Macdonald. It definitely seemed like the best option. When I started the program I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career in fashion. I wanted to have a taste of everything and see what sat well with me. It was actually a lot more intense than I’d assumed. I really liked the classes on PR and Fashion Show Production. I knew that I liked speaking to people and having creative control over what I’m doing. What I learned in PR class was how to attract attention and win a following for something. So about three months into the program I decided to create a YouTube channel that I’d do after school and hoped would lead to PR-type opportunities. I wanted PR companies to hear about me and offer me a job. Now they want to work with me as a client! I was able to put what I’d learned in class towards finding a YouTube community for my videos. That fit together really well.”

Karissa’s year at Fashion School did more than provide the springboard for her YouTube successes. It also changed her on a personal level.

“I went from having no fashion sense to having a voice in fashion, getting inspired by other students, what they were wearing and how they presented themselves. That was such a cool thing, to really express yourself through what you’re wearing. The more I started to do it, the more I started to love it. Blanche Macdonald instilled that excitement about fashion and helped me understand that I could create my own style. I took my Photoshop skills from Blanche Macdonald too. That’s something I use every single day now.”

One month after graduation Karissa had saved enough money to buy a plane ticket to Australia (“I took seven suitcases!”). Her boyfriend, Glen, was waiting for her and the 8,000 subscribers she’d gained while at Fashion School were eager to see and hear about her adventures Down Under.

“When I moved to Australia Glen had a Sony Handycam, so I decided I’d put my time and energy into making my channel as good as possible. There weren’t that many girls on YouTube at that time who were completely honest and would really bare their soul. I wanted to come across like your girlfriend; personable and relatable. People started following me, companies started emailing me and I started doing collaborations. I didn’t have another job and thought that I might as well focus all my energy on the channel. I thought that if I could get 10,000 subscribers, why couldn’t I grow it to 20,000 or 50,000? I was meeting people, which was exactly what I wanted to do, and PR companies were noticing me.

“Windsor Store was the first company to contact me. Eve from the store messaged me and said that she loved my channel, she recognised that I was an up-and-coming voice, and said she wanted to work and collaborate with me. It was the coolest thing.”

10,000 followers grew to 100,000 and Karissa was becoming a valued voice in Australian fashion and beauty. She never lost track of what had put her in that position; her honesty.

“I remember coming home to Canada for summer and thinking that I had more followers than the population of Salmon Arm! When I hit 100,000 subscribers I was making enough to support myself. That was pretty cool. People are sponsoring me now, but the biggest thing for my channel is that I don’t ever work with brands that I wouldn’t wear or use myself. I’ve always been very transparent about when a video is sponsored or when I was given something for free. I’m never going to be the person who’s selling something. That’s not the intention for my channel. A promotion makes sense when it’s organic and it’s something I would use. I saw one YouTube guru trying to push a $200 makeup mirror onto her subscribers – who are13 to 17 years old girls! I would never do that. I work with brands that allow me to have my own vision.

“This is an industry that didn’t exist five years ago. I can set the bar on exactly what I want and where I want to take it. I’d like to get more into traditional TV and film – I would love to have a travel show, doing amazing things and eating delicious vegetarian food. I’ve released SocialEyes, my eyelash line, and it's been so exciting. I have a business partner, my brother, and we’ve been able to service Australia and the rest of the world at a good price. I’ve been learning a lot about having a business and servicing demand. There are about 15 different styles, with two more collections planned. I’m so excited!”

The future is guaranteed to be exciting for Karissa. There are 500,000 YouTube subscribers (and another 120,000 Facebook followers) waiting to see what she does next.

“The best part of doing this is getting to meet people. I try to uplift people and hope they do the same in the comments. Some of my best friends I’ve met through being an on-line personality. I’ve been in Australia for two and half years, and I’m loving every minute of it! Yes, I’m developing a Canalian [Canadian/Australian] accent!”

The next generation of YouTubers and vloggers are now turning to Karissa for expert advice. Honest as ever, she’s happy to oblige.

“Don’t copy other people’s style. It’s exhausting to pretend to be someone else. People want to watch you, so be yourself, and do videos that you’re excited about. Have good lighting, and try to film with the camera a little bit above you. A bit of an angle really helps on makeup videos.” 

For Cecilia Valdes, born and raised in the bustle of Mexico City, an opportunity presented is never untaken, especially when it involves a business plan and a venue through which to share the healing powers of natural products.

“For me, it is the key element. The market in Mexico is only starting to be more aware [of the benefits of natural ingredients]. We are a little bit behind on that, but I feel that it is important. A line that gives you great results and is natural? Well, I think that’s the best combination.”

This winning combination comes in the form of Moor Skincare which, thanks to Cecilia’s phenomenal entrepreneurial spirit and head full of fresh know-how from Canada’s Top Spa Therapy School, is now an established favourite in her home city, sold in her lovely Moor Spa + Nails locales.

“After graduating from Blanche we came back to Mexico City, in November, and by February we had opened the spa. So everything was very fast!”

And it’s been shooting up from there. In only three short years since Cecilia and her husband opened the doors to the first ever Moor Spa, they have laid the foundations of a botanical skincare empire with three buzzing locations, including one nestled in the prestigious walls of Saks Fifth Avenue. This growth may seem incredible, until you meet with her fiery sparkle and you realize that Cecilia is a woman for whom words of ‘okay’ or ‘good enough’ simply do not exist.

“You do the right things, you have the right personality and the right location… but I think the most important thing is the service you offer. As an esthetician we have to give our clients the best - not just a facial, the BEST facial they have ever had. We have to give them our whole selves, and I think that is the key element to being successful.”

For Cecilia, the best could only be found in the Esthetics and Spa Therapy program at Blanche Macdonald. Having studied Business Administration in Mexico, the foundations for her dreams were set, and it was time to hone in on the industry in which she would set the passion for her goals to shining.

“My dream was always to have my own business. I looked into just about everything: Subway franchises, laundromats, drugstores, but then I thought, why not a spa? Why chase a smaller dream? The original idea was to have a small hotel; my husband was to handle more of the restaurant, the rooms and all of that. We got married, we moved to Canada, he took a Hotel Management course, and I came to Blanche as I wanted to have my own spa at the hotel- that was the goal!

“It really was a great experience [at Blanche Macdonald]. It was funny, because I was the oldest but I learned so much from the younger girls as it’s a different culture here. I was very far from home and was learning to take the skytrain in the rain and in the snow. It was very different living in Canada but it gave me more confidence in myself. I liked the other girls, and I liked learning from them. I have so many good memories.”

Undoubtedly the memory that shines brightest was the day that she met the Owner and President of Moor Spa, a regular and well-loved guest at the Blanche podium.  

“One day I remember, Michael Beresford came to Blanche, and as he was showing us the product. I fell in love with it. I liked that it used 100% natural ingredients. That day when I went home and told my husband that we should bring the line back to Mexico, he said, ‘well why don’t we open a spa?’ We started on the business plan right then.”

Michael, on his part, remembers her too; it’s hard to forget the daring and determined spirit that took the Moor line to a country that up until then, knew nothing of it’s fabulous healing properties.

“We had to push a little bit... a lot, to be honest. Moor is a great line but it wasn’t well known in Mexico. We had to work hard, but it was worth it. Once people tried the line, they made the switch in their beauty care and stayed with us.

“One thing that I’ve felt to be very useful is to be positive and optimistic. The minute I thought ‘we’re about to open a spa’, I was super afraid, I had to start from zero. ‘How will I find a supplier? How many files do I need?’ Then I thought, ‘I have to be brave, I have to start from somewhere - from myself’. And that’s what I did.”

The Moor’s botanicals were not the only goodies that Cecilia packed in her suitcase home; her knowledge gained at her time at Blanche was to propel spa practice in Mexico to new heights.

“Nowadays we use the same skin care analysis and we perform the facials in the same way as I learned at Blanche in all the Moor Spa + Nails locations, and I teach my team as I was taught to always give home care advice to our guests.

“Now, at Moor Salon, we do it the Blanche way!”, she laughs.

Though she is usually kept busy keeping clients smiling, networking and chatting up the media (“we have been lucky to appear in Glamour and on MTV. It’s been really great for the business!”) Cecilia rests easy knowing that this savvy has taken root and is now flourishing in her spas.

“I’m happy that I learned everything; I have the right knowledge and was able to hire the right people, and I’m able to know if they’re doing it the right way.

“Now I sit back and there’s no need to worry, and I know that if I’m not there, the spa will run perfectly as my team is perfect, I can take a vacation and everything goes well”, she says, which has certainly come in handy in the last two months, having given birth to her first little one, a beautiful baby girl. “I’m very grateful for this.”

Being able to bring this knowledge back to her country, and create jobs for her home town is a true highlight for Cecilia, and her voice audibly sparkles when the talk turns to her team.

“There are many [favourite moments]; one that I really enjoy is when I see the face of a happy client, and another that I like the same or maybe even more, is when I see my team happy - when the girls are happy at work.

“We have pretty much the same team as when we opened three years ago so I feel that we are like family, and that makes me so happy. It feels like home. I love it.”

This warmhearted and supportive well that Cecilia has created with her ‘girls’ certainly spills over to her guests in Moor Spa’s lounges and nail bars, making for what is always a personally engaging experience.

“We give wellness to people and make them feel fine; we’re like a therapy. Sometimes they just want to feel fine and loved, and we can give them that at the spa. I love my work.”

Sometimes therapy means a few quality hours spent with friends and family, and Cecilia has this up for offer as well with her ‘Sparties’, a unique feature that has set her apart from the other spas in her area and has made Moor a veritable hotspot for every occasion to be celebrated.    

“It’s super fun! We do at least one a week. You book the spot in advance and we close the place for you, set up decorations, give you cappuccinos, wine, champagne… the girls love it! We get everyone from young to old, to men, and even whole families.

“It’s a nice way to chat with your friends and to pamper yourself. We make it your place. You don’t have to dress up, you’re with your friends, and here you have the opportunity to chat, relax and laugh!”

She wastes no time in insisting that we come ‘Sparty’ with her the next time we find ourselves south of the border, and receiving her warm and scintillating invite it’s not hard to see why Cecilia has done so well for herself with Moor Spa + Nails. Though, her dauntless strength of will and courage in the unknown of new possibilities couldn’t have hurt either.

“If I were to give any advice, I would say that it’s good to take the risk. If you have a chance and an opportunity it’s always good to say yes to everything. Then, you just try your best.”

“It’s a great career because you get the chance to be all that you can be. You can be an employee, you can decide to be your own boss. If I can be successful, then I don’t see why anyone else could not. Anyone can!”

For clients of twice-graduate Paige Roy, imagination is truly at their fingertips. Since launching off from both Blanche Macdonald’s Global Makeup and Nail Parlour programs, Paige has been busy brushing out incredible creatives which have seen nails metamorphosed into monarch butterflies, dragon’s treasure, beetle shells and lighting storms (to name a few).

With a social media following that is on the up and up, a position as Nail Technician and Makeup Artist in one of Winnipeg’s hottest salons, Cutting Loose Hair Design, and exciting makeup adventures on the horizon, the young lady from the small town of Victoria Beach, Manitoba is already changing Winnipeg’s perception of what’s possible.

“I really like when I’m taking off my clients’ nail work, and they say ‘Oh! It doesn’t hurt! My nails still look good!’“ she laughs.  “I say ‘Yeah! It’s because I do it properly!’ It’s nice when people realize that I’m doing things the right way and taking my time to do it well. I’ve got a lot of girls who are used to going to other shops who want to be out in 20 minutes. Once they sit down I tell that they’ll be here for a while!”

Paige is now the go-to girl for nail art and event makeup in Winnipeg, but it took her traveling across the country to Canada’s Top Makeup and Nail School to get there. Piqued by the artistry she encountered during her stint modeling, Paige made the leap to the other side of the brush and began her search for the best place to make most of her time away from home, leading her to take on a pair of courses at the Blanche Macdonald Centre.

“I saw that there was a Global Makeup program and I knew I wanted to do that. The Nail Parlour course looked amazing as well, and when I found out that Makeup was only three days a week, I knew that I could fit it in!  

“I thought it would be more scary because it’s such a big city, but I was close to school and it was super easy to get everywhere. There was a speaker from MAC Cosmetics a couple of days before I started, and my Admissions Director Jill Wyness suggested that I come to see that. The transition was so nice, and everyone was really helpful.”

The Blanche Macdonald Makeup Career office was a regular haunt for Paige, and Career Director Heather Sosa recalls her as being a true ‘go-getter’ from the get-go. Though she was thousands of kilometres away from her home, Paige knew that her Métis community was behind her all the way. This support provided inspiration to fill her already brimming double-bill schedule with volunteer and charity work.

“I wanted to do as much as I could while I was there to get the experience in,” she continues. “It’s true that you get out of your time at Blanche Macdonald what you put into it and you can’t just go out expecting to get famous. You have to volunteer, do free photoshoots.”

Though it is impossible for her to pick just one favourite moment from two courses full of memories, it was during the Nail Art finals in school that Paige found her passion set to shining.

“It was exciting, and I was inspired by how much you could do with it. I thought, I’ve got to try something crazy and see what I can do with all this stuff.

“I try to figure out and think of things that other people haven’t done yet. I’m always trying to create new things and new techniques.”

This spark for experimentation and play has now become an emblem for Paige’s sensational designs, which have led her to establishing a community of followers on Instagram that grows each day.

“It’s fun! I’m really addicted to Instagram and meeting people on there. It helps me get clients. It definitely is a learning experience; I’ve come to realize that you have to put up high quality photos, and that people don’t like to see pictures of feet,” she laughs. “So don’t post up pedicures!”

With a supportive home in the Cutting Loose salon and a steady stream of fans eagerly awaiting each new nail art masterpiece, Paige is far from complacent in the success she has so far found. She is already striving to reach the next level.

“One of my goals this year is to do more makeup. I’ve been doing a lot of photoshoots for hairstylists entering competitions, and I’ve been doing more weddings and grads. This year I’m definitely focusing on that. I want to do more fashion too, and I’ve planned some photoshoots to enter Salon Magazine’s Contessa Awards and the Mirror Awards.”

There are no doubts that Paige will excel in these new ventures; her passion and constant drive for new challenges over which her creative mind can soar will keep her star rising.

“You can go wherever you want with this. You can do it in a salon, you can do freelance, you can do retail, do photoshoots. You can go anywhere and do a bit of everything. You make your own schedule when you get out there, and just do different things every day!”

Follow Paige Roy on Instagram @princess_paige1

Blanche Macdonald Fashion Design Instructor Jenny Hedberg understands what it’s like to be a student at Canada’s #1 Fashion School. Ten years ago she was sitting in those classes herself, learning techniques and insights from the teachers who are now her colleagues.

“I love it here,” she smiles. “I really like to see the moment when students understand a concept. They each have their own vision for their collection. It's very inspiring! You get to see unique perspectives, and help students build their skills to reach their goals. It’s also a challenge for me because one person might be doing bridal gowns, and someone else doing leather or swimwear. That keeps me on my toes!”

The change from student to teacher is only one transformation for Jenny. She’s forged a remarkable career for herself as a Designer; transferring her skills between activewear, custom bridal gowns, and her own label, Hawks Ave, before returning to the School that launched her fashion adventure. She’s also created a home for herself in Vancouver, a long way from her start in Prince George, BC. 

“At 15 I started making clothes for myself and friends,” she explains, “and I started my first company at 19. I rented a little storefront and would make custom clothing. I ended up doing a lot of alterations and repair work. That was amazing and really great experience, because I had to teach myself how things are put together.”

There’s only so far a young designer can go in Prince George. Which is why Jenny started thinking about a trip south and some formal fashion training. 

“I wanted to move to a bigger city. A friend brought back some info from Blanche Macdonald. I called and eventually reached the point when I could make the move. I wanted to learn how to pattern draft properly. I wanted to expand my skills and keep moving forward. I wanted to grow, in terms of ideas and inspiration, by moving out of my comfort zone. So I moved here with my husband, and his entire band.”

Jenny was used to teaching herself, with help from a handful of mentors, in Prince George. Her arrival at Fashion School provided an adrenaline shot of technical know how and creative inspiration.

“It was amazing!” she enthuses. “The people I had teaching me are still here. Peggy Morrison’s knowledge of designers and eras, where fashion has been and where it’s going, is just amazing. To hear her tell a story is one of the best things ever. I had Brenda Swinglehurst for garment construction and pattern drafting. Most of the technical skills I still use every day are things I learned from her. She’s so talented. Lisa Gellert’s skill in illustrating and design direction is really inspiring. She pushed me to explore new areas that maybe I hadn’t dabbled in or thought about. She always had something new to share with us. It opened up my design. I’d only wanted to do denim or leather up to that point, and now my eyes were opened to all these designers I didn’t know about. It was really interesting and pushed me to explore a lot more. 

“I pushed myself for my grad collection, which was really architectural and couture. Not like anything I’d done before. I wanted to do the opposite of what I was used to and push myself. One dress I made had 80 hours of beadwork! I learned so much from Brenda encouraging me to try new things. I felt so proud when I saw my garments walking down the runway.”

Jenny graduated with flying colours and went directly to a job as Technical Production and Development Coordinator for yoga and active-wear company Lotuswear.

“A friend from school, Hrissa Soumpassis, cold-called a bunch of companies and got three job offers. She called me and said that as I was really into knitwear, one job might be perfect for me.

“I wanted to learn how a factory worked, because I was still making clothes one at a time. We worked with one overseas factory, and several local factories with Lotuswear, so I learned all about sourcing and fitting. I’d learned about it at Fashion School, but this was really being thrown into it.”

Of course, there was always time for more design work.

“At the same time I was working one day a week making custom bridal gowns with a designer called Wilfred Dy – who’s now doing the same thing in Dubai. A photographer, Garry Kettleson, came up to me after the Blanche Macdonald grad show, told me he loved my work and that he wanted to work with me. He thought I would be a good fit for his friend who was looking for an assistant. That was Wilfred. It was hand beadwork and hand draping. Everything other than pattern drafting was my responsibility. That detailed, hand-sewn work was the opposite of what I was doing with Lotuswear. It was a great contrast. Getting both jobs through Blanche Macdonald was another confirmation that I’d make the right choice to come to Fashion School.”

After three years of yogawear and bridal gowns, a new job at Papillon Eastern opened up a new world of possibilities. Literally. 

“Papillon was all overseas production, so I was able to travel all over Asia and was able to see all these different cultures and fabric sources. Their collection was over 300 pieces a season, so I was doing a lot of designing. It was really interesting, as I went from a technical design and production role back to creative design.”

Life became even more interesting when Jamal Abdourahman asked Jenny to put a collection together for Vancouver Fashion Week.

The catch? She had three weeks to get it ready for the runway.  

“It was crazy!” she laughs. “They were all screen printed knits, apart from one denim piece, all inspired by rock and roll and a particular chevron pattern. Somehow I did it.”

That was the debut collection from Jenny’s own label, Hawks Ave. The next step was getting it into stores.

“I’d wanted to do my own line for a while. I needed an outlet for my creativity. I got nine stores on board that first year, basically through persistence. Because of my experience I knew about buyers, when the seasons were and how buyers wanted to see a collection. The clothes had to be in stores, so I took out a small loan and convinced a few factories I knew to do a small run. I knew that once you place your first delivery on time and as promised, stores will order you the next year too.”

Even though Hawks Ave was up and flying, Jenny was still prepared to welcome opportunity when it came knocking. She had started instructing the Technical Production class at Blanche Macdonald while she was filling that exact role at Papillion. Recognising her gift for teaching, Blanche Macdonald asked if Jenny was interested in expanding her role. Now she teaches Pattern Making, Garment Construction and Fashion Elements. Inspiration comes as standard.

“It’s humbling! To work with people that taught you something is a privilege. I’m really enjoying myself. It’s amazing watching students develop, sometimes from not having any experience, to a really strong runway collection. This year’s Fashion Design Grad Show was amazing. The group worked together so well. They pushed each other to some great work.

“It’s really rewarding for me to see them succeed. It’s definitely a challenging program, but to see students process it, love it and want to move forward in this industry is my absolute favourite thing.”

Photos provided by Jenny Hedberg.
Photography by Nicole Gurney. Model: Willow Riley.

For Blanche Macdonald Makeup graduate Lyle Reimer, the infamous concept of the ‘selfie’ means so much more than a simple point and shoot portrait. Utterly enchanting, zany and full of wit, Lyle’s Instagram account @Lylexox features no duck faces, and no instances in which he ‘woke up like this’; it is rather a gallery of extravagant handcrafted beauty installations, visual sprees of the creative self. These works of app art have garnered him a following that boasts tens of thousands of avid fans, including iconic fashion Hair Stylist Eugene Souleiman, Fashionista.com, The Huffington Post, and not a few other big-league industry names.

“Vogue liked one of the Instagram images, and as of last night Edward Enninful, Fashion and Style Director at W Magazine, is liking pictures which I am super stoked about. There are people who I really look up to in the industry who are on board, which I think is very cool,” beams Lyle.

He also happens to be one of only seventeen people that Cher follows. Yes, THE Cher. Yet Lyle insists that it’s the ability to inspire and connect with people that drives him, and reading through the comments sections of his posts is enough to make your heart well with warmth. It’s hard to top the vivid spirit of the @Lylexox creations, yet the artist himself is one of the most lovely and engaging people you are likely to meet, and he carries over this shimmering passion for interaction to his day job as trainer with the Artistry & Development team of MAC Cosmetics.

“Recently, we started a thing called ‘Play Shop.’ At this time, it was the first ‘Play Shop’ for MAC within Canada and they asked if I would do an Instagram look for a room of attendees. After the makeup was done, I went behind the scenes, did my wig and put on all of my accessories, and came out. It was one of the pinnacle moments of my MAC career for sure because the artists were crying, and it was like a receiving line at a wedding. They came up to me to hold my hand and they were beside themselves saying ‘When we have a hard time getting up and getting ready in the morning we just think of you and what you do and get inspired.’ I wanted to break down and cry, it was so sweet and so touching.

“You know at that moment, that what you’re doing has an impact on people beyond the makeup. I feel so often that makeup becomes very materialistic and very lah-di-dah, but when you have the ability to impact people and inspire their lives personally – that is what I can take home with me.”

Having worked his way up from a summer contract to part-time, and finally to his coveted position running core training for BC overseeing three locations (including the Pro Robson store where his journey began), Lyle has now been with MAC for nearly 15 years, and he couldn’t be happier.  

“Honestly, I always wanted to be in that role. It was just a matter of timing. I love the aspect of teaching and of being a source of inspiration but I knew that I needed to get enough work under my belt to have a larger body of knowledge to share with a team. As much as you want to apply for those jobs right at the get-go, you can’t. It was one of those situations where I had to work and really hone things, and then move on from there.”

Though he grew up in the small Saskatchewan town of Wymark (population under 200, no typo on the zeroes), the seeds of Lyle’s passion for makeup were planted early on with visits from his fabulous Aunt, a jet-setting Makeup Artist who would teach him how to do latex ageing with “Rogers maple syrup and kleenex”. He can recall also putting on elaborate lunchtime stage productions for his mother and an audience of stuffed animals, complete with fantasy makeup and full costume changes.

“Talk about things that are intrinsically you - no one told me to be like that. It was like that’s just Lyle and that’s how it is. My mom, thankfully, was so nurturing in that regard. She saw that and decided that she was going to embrace it, and let me run with it. I always knew that. I never felt like I had to not do my own thing.”

When it came time to sculpt this deep-seated passion, Lyle wasn’t about to go halfway with his education. He returned from a year’s jaunt teaching visual arts in Cuba, ready for big leaps and looking for advice on where to turn.

“When I was talking to a friend of mine she said ‘My dad works in the film industry, and the one school that has the most amazing reputation in terms of the industry standard is Blanche Macdonald.’ So I thought, ‘OK, then that’s where I’m going to go.’ There was no question about it; I wanted to go to the best school.

“As soon as I walked into that space, I know it sounds super cheesy, but it felt like coming home. It felt like this is where I belonged. My relationship with Blanche was started on such a positive note right from the beginning that I have nothing but positive things to say.”

The immediate connection he felt within the halls of Blanche Macdonald carried through to the classrooms, where his ambition in knowledge was met with a wealth of industry experience to indulge in.

“My favourite memory isn’t necessarily a moment, but the teachers there. I told them that I wanted them to be hard on me, to be critical, to really critique and not just be like ‘oh that’s pretty, that’s good and leave it at that.’ If it needs to be corrected, or if it needs to be whatever I want that feedback. They always came through.”

This head-first approach to learning saw Lyle excelling in every class, but he quickly learned that being great at something doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the right fit.

“I thought that I was going to go into film. I wanted to do crazy prosthetic masks and Star Trek-like things. I was really drawn to this because, in my mind it was so much more about the artistry and creating things that were beyond the human face. I did a short film while I was at Blanche Macdonald, and another after I graduated; it was a great experience, but at the end of that it was like ‘and that’s a wrap for me’. It takes a very special kind of person to work in the film industry because you always hear of how difficult it is with a personal life. My partner and I, we’ve been together for fifteen years and I would not want to sacrifice that, so I was taken down a different path.

Cue the collective hurrah of Lyle’s fan base at this change of the winds. Yet his original intrigue at pushing the boundaries of makeup artistry past the confines of a face chart ultimately led him to the phenomenal pastime that has won the world over.

“At MAC we had what we called a Five Day Makeup Challenge, and it was an initiative to get people to break out of their makeup habits and try out different looks for five days. So being a trainer, I needed to set an example and be a role model. I thought ‘well if I’m going to do it, then I’m going to DO it. I’m just going to go all out.’ I did four of the five days, and I went into the store and they said, ‘Lyle you can’t stop now – you need to make it into a FIFTY five day challenge. We LOVE it, so don’t stop.’ So I just kept going. Now I have a whole studio that’s designated just for @Lylexox. It’s this thing that I can’t stop now. I love it.”

Needless to say, he’s not the only one.

“As much as I can, I respond and send comments. I take the ability to have that connection with people all around the world very seriously. Relationships to me are vital; I think we all need to feel that sense of community. As an artist you understand this connection. I now have these people who are doing paintings and portraits and sketches of me, of my face and I’m like ‘What? You live over in the Middle East and you’re drawing my face?’ I mean, how can you not be impacted by that?”

It was after Lyle’s work had been featured on Instagram’s official profile, seen by over fifty million followers worldwide, that @Lylexox kicked in to vogue status. The dominos just kept popping into place from there.  

“There’s a stylist in New York, Rachel Gilman, who started telling her people about my creations. That’s when the first article came out with Fashionista.com, and then the Dailymail.co.uk. The most recent one was in the Huffington Post.

“It is so lovely and touching to have these total strangers support me and support what I’m doing that I just want to keep pushing what I’m doing to the rest of the world. I’m so honoured that they actually care about all of the crazy that’s going on in my head. I’ve no words.”

With now over a hundred jaw-droppingly inventive, and absurdly unique creations up on his Instagram page, questions regarding just how long  the ‘crazy’ will keep on are not wholly out of place.

“People ask me if I’m afraid that I’m going to run out of ideas. NO! You’re not going to run out of ideas because there’s this constant flow that takes place, and if you’re always open to that there’s always going to be stuff that just comes to you.

“When we talk about inspiration, the key for me is that you should never censor what comes into your mind. You need to always be open to whatever comes in and just run with it, because as soon as you start censoring, ‘is this appropriate, or are people going to like it or not like it’, it really starts to take you off track. If you repress that, then you don’t have that really true vision. You have to be fully committed to what comes into your head at that moment. Things aren’t planned out. I might have a general image of this or that, but if it’s taking you in a direction in that look, you need to go with that and trust that intuition… that instinct, really. It’s like a muscle; the more you do it, the more you will feel it easing out.”

As Lyle’s intuition would have it, the odder and more unconventional the material to use in his spectacular makeovers, the better. Just off the top of his head (literally) there have been cabbage leaves, ketchup packets, biohazard bags and spray nozzles.

“If it’s garbage, awesome, because then it can be completely taken apart, repainted and reglued into something, and given new life.

“Now the girls at work, if they’re unpackaging makeup and it comes in an interesting box, they’re like ‘oh save it for Lyle - he’ll turn it into a headpiece,’” he laughs.  

It’s an odd thing, he muses, to meet with such a compelling pursuit, such an exalting necessity after having successfully worked in the industry for over a decade. Yet Lyle insists that it’s in clearing the way, rather than self-manufacturing that brings about these powerful discoveries of passion.

“It takes a long time, maybe a lifetime to get to what is the essence of you, but you have to be willing to strip away everything else and just focus on that essence. For so long my life was based on opinions and on what other people thought of me,” continues Lyle. “Growing up gay in a small town was very, very hard. It was insanely challenging to rise above that and feel that you had worth when everyone else was was telling you that you weren’t worth anything. You constantly have this sense of doubt as an artist, but that’s only from all of those years of insecure garbage talk. When you get rid of that, clean that out of your life, and just focus on who you are as an artist and tap into that, everything else becomes easy.”

For the next generation looking to push past their set of personal obstacles and pursue their own strange and wonderful inner Makeup Artist, Lyle has advice you’d be wise to heed.

“Savour every minute of education. Utilize the teachers’ wisdom to the nth degree. If this is really what you want to do, be very demanding of the need for feedback and corrective criticism. Be constantly open to it because really the only way to grow is to be open to hearing people’s critique and feedback, especially if it’s coming from someone in the arena of Blanche. You have such seasoned professionals teaching you, so soak up every drop and savour every minute because when it’s done, you’re into the world. Be really clear within yourself: this is my mission, this is what I’m going to do. And just soak it all up. Soak up every second of it.”

With a retrospective book in the works and a loving, well-loved position in the MAC Cosmetics family, Lyle is proof that passion can take you to your perfect nine-to-five, and beyond your wildest expectations.

“You know when you hear interviews and people say ‘oh I’m successful because I’m only doing what I love’? I always felt that that was cheesy and cliche to say, until I actually stepped back and looked at what I am doing now with @Lylexox. I could do just that all day long, and I would be ecstatic. It’s so weird to be tapping into it at such a later point in life, but I have now, and I’m going to run with it, and I’m not going to stop.”

All photos provided by Lyle Reimer via @Lylexox on Instagram.

Where else can you be in a coffee lineup with a swamp monster, brush elbows with a unicorn, or get bloodied up by your industry idol? We’re still reeling with awe, excitement, shock and pride after a whirlwind weekend at the IMATS Vancouver 2014! 

Hosted yearly in each of six premiere cities, the International Makeup Artist Trade Show (IMATS) is the world’s largest get-together for Makeup fanatics to swap quips, tips and, of course, load up on kit must-haves! This is one of our favourite events of the year, where we set our LOVE for what we do to shimmering amongst a gathering of our friends: tip-top Makeup industry Legends, Award-Winning Artists, TV & Film set heavy-hitters and YouTube Beauty superstars.

It is also when we take to the bleachers to cheer on our own Blanche Macdonald Makeup talent in the Battle of the Brushes Character/Prosthetics and Beauty/Fantasy student competitions. At the culmination of two heated rounds of artistic tour de force, we were ecstatic to watch as Blanche Macdonald Global Makeup graduate Kelseyanna Fitzpatrick fluttered forward to grasp at the glassed trophy, taking a stunning third place win in the Beauty/Fantasy competition for her Picasso-inspired face of whorls. 

“I’ve always been inspired by Picasso’s bold lines and colours, and how he does beauty in new ways by using different perspectives and distortion. I was inspired by that to create my own style. This was how I interpreted the theme of ‘Art Through the Ages.’ 

“I was definitely surprised,” she beams. “I was really happy that my work paid off, and to make people proud. The support I got was huge in this. As much as the competition was fun, what meant the most to me was the training that I got from Blanche Macdonald, and how they shared all of the team’s work to get us excited and ready for the day. Just even being encouraged to be true to my own style was great.”

Back at the CurliQue Beauty booth, celebration was a constant throughout all days, all hours of the event. We had the spectacular, spit-fire Siân Richards, TV & Film maven of such shape-shifting works as Halle Berry’s Cloud Atlas transformation and IMATS keynote speaker, spitting out fabulous British wit in what was the CQ premiere of her London Brush Company collection. Present also were the lovely Jessie of Love for Lashes, and JoAnn Fowler, founder of Sappho Organic Cosmetics and Blanche Macdonald Makeup graduate. It was great catching up with our industry friends! Emmy Award-Winning Makeup Artist Kevin James Bennett, and AJ Crimson, CEO of BLACKBOARDGROUP Management popped in for hugs and hellos, as well as Blanche Macdonald graduate Heather Nightingale, who bustled over from her slot overseeing the Make Up For Ever booth. 

We had a blast with our Big Love Ball installation, where we invited makeup fanatics (and monsters alike) to show their BIG LOVE for IMATS, capturing the moments and collecting them together under one hashtag-ed umbrella of excitement, #MyBigLove. We even had New York- based Pro Makeup Artist Ayami Nishimura come by before her keynote presentation for a quick snap and CQ booth shop!

We hope all of you that joined us at IMATS Vancouver 2014 had a wonderful time, and for those of you who didn’t make it, we hope to see you next year!

Congratulations are due to all of our Blanche Macdonald Battle of the Brushes finalists, who displayed great skill and stunning creativity: Pauline King and Marina Hume in the 'Character/Prosthetics' Competition, and Jenny Tseng, Mimi Choi, and Kelseyanna in the 'Beauty/Fantasty'. We are so proud of all of you, and cannot wait to see awaits you in competitions to come.

Last week, Blanche Macdonald Centre graciously hosted the Queen of cosmetic colour, Ayami Nishimura, for two fun filled days of lectures, laughs, life-lessons and some of the most celebrated avant-garde makeup in the world. 

For those of you not familiar with Her Highness Ayami Nishimura, her pioneering makeup has graced countless covers of Vogue, AnOther, Dazed and Confused, Mixt(e), V Magazine, Harpers Bazaar, W, Numero, has been immortalized in campaigns for Vivienne Westwood, Missoni and Escada, and transformed celebrities of the highest order… can we say Lady Gaga?!

The self-taught Japanese native, who now calls New York City home, credits the tenacity and perseverance of an eighteen-year tenure in London England for her phenomenal success in the world of High Fashion Makeup. 

Dripping in head to toe Givenchy, the ever-chic Ayami candidly shared her first steps of an epic career. 

“I moved to London twenty years ago to be a hairdresser.  I never really fit into Japanese society and always loved how civilized London looked…well in the movies at least; dinner at fancy tables with forks and knives, no chop sticks or tables on the ground, glamorous fashion and of course the rock and roll. Everyone seemed so cool!  I thought to myself, I am going to move there and hang out with those people.  So I did!”

With a cheeky smile and hit of reverence for a career she started nearly two decades ago, Ayami explained to the eager BMC students how she caught the makeup bug. 

“When I first moved to London I started doing hair on photo shoots for magazines like The Face and Dazed and Confused. One particular job I was asked to do the makeup as well, and was instantly hooked. I found it so much more interesting than doing hair. From that moment forward I was a makeup artist.”

Ayami’s rise to the top wasn’t a quick and easy one.

“For years I was not very busy. But every single day I would go to the library at Central Saint Martins to do research. I made a fake ID and flashed it to their security guards. I wasn’t a student and the ID looked nothing like me, but before long they would be saying hello with a big smile as I walked through the doors with my head held high.”

Not so hard to believe, Ayami seems to possess one of those infectious laughs that could loosen up even the most star struck student at BMC.

“References are very important to me. I must have gone through every issue of Vogue and Harpers Bazaar from the 1950’s onwards.  Those were very interesting times. I always knew in my heart that someday I would be a famous makeup artist and wouldn’t have time to research and collect inspiration. So I gathered up as much information as possible. I still have stacks and stacks of photocopies from those days.”

Ayami was right.  Between shooting countless editorial stories, campaigns, being a Key Note Speaker at the IMATS and traveling to some of the most exotic places on earth, Ayami managed to find time to visit Blanche Macdonald Centre, Canada’s Top Fashion School.

“I have had the BEST visit to Vancouver. I have never been to Canada before and am so happy.  This school is serious!  I have been talking about coming here for over a year, but I didn’t fully understand just how impressive it really is.”

Over the course of two days Ayami shared her personal journey as an artist, her secret tricks of the trade and demoed multiple looks, all based off her cult-collectable book, Ayami Nishimura, published and photographed by famed UK photographer, Rankin. 

“I am really proud of my book.  This is my best work and I am so pleased to see it all together in one place.  Even though the makeup is really quite crazy, I think all the women still look very beautiful.  That is quite important for me as an artist and is probably my signature style”.

One particular student with bright-eyed optimism, asked Ayami to share an all time favorite moment from her illustrious career.

“Years ago, I was a makeup assistant on Yves Saint Laurent’s final couture presentation before he retired.  I believe it was spring of 2002.  I remember being given this special VIP pass where I got to watch the most incredible show from backstage. It was a very important moment in history.  The show was at the Pompidou Centre in Paris and all the supermodels were there. I remember for his final bow, Yves came out and everyone was so quiet. Catherine Deneuve (the French film star who acted as YSL’s muse for the bulk of his career) stood up and started the hugest round of applause.  I have never heard or seen anything like it.  Everyone was crying and smiling and clapping for what felt like forever.  That was a really special moment for me.  That was when I knew, this is what I want to do with my life.”

We would all love to be a part of such special moments in fashion. Students asked for any tips that would help get them on the path.

“I work very, very fast. Time is a big deal in this industry and its important to keep the energy fun and moving when you are on a shoot. Otherwise, people get bored and I don’t like that… doing things that are boring.  I want to have fun and get on with everyone.  Remember, you are there to take pictures! Not only do makeup.  The team needs as much time as possible to shoot. You simply cannot take two hours to do one look. Unacceptable.”  Says Ayami with an earned authority that would make even the most seasoned artist waiver.

Then she softened.  “However, when I got to do my book, it was 100% my creative vision. Rankin let me do whatever I wanted so I took more time and was a little more precious with my applications.  Don’t be fooled though! I practice and practice before every job.  I must have done each look at least fifteen times before I did it on a model. My poor assistant!”

Ayami smiles at her beloved assistant Breianne Zellinsky, yet another revered alumni from Blanche Macdonald Centre. 

“I am scared of things that I don’t know and understand.  Exploring before the job gives me the confidence to perform. I like things to be easy” 

Seeing Ayami transform fresh faced models into the most progressive looks the industry has to offer (while simultaneously talking mind you) makes it a little difficult to believe that her work is, as she bluntly puts it, “easy”.

One common thread that stuck out in both Ayami’s student presentations and master classes was her eye for everyday objects that could be used in a luxury makeup world.

“Oh, these brushes are for water colour painting, but they are really nice and much cheaper! Most of the time fancy things are not necessary.  All my glitter is from art stores.  I mean why not? Glitter is glitter… I love glitter! Plus you get much more for so much less.”

It's tough to fathom that Ayami uses generic paint brushes and dollar store stickers to work on some of the most famous faces of our generation, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and MIA to drop a couple names. We saw first hand the transformative powers of basic arts and crafts supplies.  If ever there were neon signs pointing towards a future Ayami Nishimura Makeup Line, it was on stage at Blanche Macdonald Centre. You heard it here first! 

It was a whirlwind of creativity here at BMC last week.  Students and instructors alike are still surfing the tidal waves of inspiration that Ayami conjured during her time here.  We are so happy to have learned from this makeup legend and more importantly to have made a new friend. 

Needing to make it back to NYC for an exclusive event (for none other than Madonna), followed by a sling of back-to-back advertising jobs; Ayami left BMC with a Cheshire cat grin on her face. “So… when can I come back??”

In the world of Fashion Public Relations, Kelly Cutrone is not a name to toss around lightly. Even if you didn’t grow up watching hit reality television series The Hills, her reputation for high industry standards, towering expectations, and nonsense intolerance within her prestige New York-based Fashion PR company People’s Revolution is widely acknowledged, and daunting for many.

Not so for Nikki Dindo who, less than a year since graduating from Blanche Macdonald’s Fashion Merchandising program, has braved and survived a whirlwind internship through two seasons of New York Fashion Week with People’s Revolution.

“She was a bit intimidating obviously, but once you get to know her she’s actually really nice and super helpful,” chirps Nikki. “She was the mom figure for everyone; she’d even cook for us during Fashion Week! She’d bring us cups of soup and make sure we were never there too late.”

This is not to say that the internship was all chicken noodle and nine to fives.

“On a daily basis we were involved in things like event planning, doing press clips, new client outreach, social media monitoring, blogging; it was always changing and never a dull moment. No two days were ever the same at that place!

“Still nothing could have prepared me for Fashion Week. It was crazy, but it was also the most amazing experience I’ve ever had. We had seven shows and three events in that one week. It was madness. We’d be in the office until about 2:00 in the morning, have a 4:00 am call time, have two shows that day and then go back to the office until 2:00 in the morning again. We were exhausted, but as soon as the lights dimmed, the music started and the show came on, I was on a show high. It was so great to see all of the work that we had been doing for the last months come together to flow seamlessly.”

To some this may all seem overwhelming, but it is evident in Nikki’s calm and polished delivery that this frenetic fashion ado is where she is most comfortable. Looking back, she had been preparing herself for this lifestyle since before she even knew what a press release was, planning catered surprise parties as a pre-teen and constructing the family itineraries. Yet it took being cast out to sea for Nikki to see that this knack for event coordination could become a career choice.

“I was actually a dancer in a semi-professional company for four years while I was in high school. I started on cruise ships as a singer and dancer in the shows, but an injury prevented me from pursuing that, and so I moved over to working with the event team onboard.”

Though Nikki found easy success in this path, soon leading her to a role as a top travel agent, her innate thirst for challenge and a sense of something more, something missing, propelled her on to the next adventure.  

“I sat down with my mom one day and she asked, ‘If you could pick anything, what would you love to be?’ I knew that I’d love being in the back end of the Fashion industry, but I didn’t know how to get there. My boss at the time knew that I was itching to move on, and so she mentioned that her daughter had gone to Blanche Macdonald and told me a little bit about the program. I went back to my cubicle, researched it on the spot and that very day I applied to meet with an Advisor. The second that I came to visit the school I knew that this is where I wanted to be. I haven’t looked back since.”

Having at last discovered a calling that she could get worked up about, the year at Canada’s Top Fashion School went by quickly for Nikki. Though she may have been content listening to the fabulous tales of Peggy Morrison’s Fashion Awareness class for another year over (“all of them were just SO great!”) she set about plotting her future long before graduation; it would be the most exciting plan she had laid so far.

“For a few months I had been thinking about going over to New York for some internships; about three months prior I started looking into various agencies for where I might be a good fit. Honestly, after that I just picked up the phone to call People’s Revolution, asked for a contact person, sent over my resume and cover letter, and landed the job the week after. I just kind of went for it.

“Everyone was such a great resource! I was actually torn between a few places in the end and so Career Director Mel Watts reached out to a couple of past students who had interned at the other agencies to ask about their experience. That ultimately helped me in making my decision.”

As it turned out, the prestigious slot at PR firm People’s Revolution was the perfect fit for Nikki, who became an indispensable member of Kelly Cutrone’s team from the get-go.   

“During Jeremy Scott’s New York Fashion Week show it was utter madness. I was in charge of backstage check-ins and media outreach and we did not have enough backstage passes – we didn’t even have enough passes for the dressers. It was complete chaos and I was receiving no help whatsoever because everyone was just too busy, so I had to take the entire situation into my own hands. I had to break a few rules to let people in and out, averted about five major crises, and nobody even knew. My proudest moment was after the show when people were asking me, ‘Hey, what happened with this?’ and I was able to say, ‘Not to worry, I solved everything.’ ”

“I think I like that energy high of not knowing what’s going to happen,” grins Nikki, reflecting back on the glorious moment.

Though Cutrone undoubtedly became a role model in Nikki’s thrilling New York life, the answer to who her industry idol may be lay much closer to home.

“Can I say Lyndi?” she laughs, referring to Blanche Macdonald Fashion Merchandising graduate-turned-instructor and PR maven Lyndi Barrett. “She does everything and she’s wonderful! She’s my idol, my mentor, and my friend. I think it’s so amazing that she juggles working here, and her PR agency AND Style Calling. She’s amazing.

“Lyndi has helped me from the very beginning. She helped me get my internship with Motive Communications, where I spent six months. She’s helped me get so many of my volunteer opportunities, and I’ve worked with her on a ton of projects, like the Deighton Cup which was just so cool, a few awards shows, and a bunch of projects with her agency Lj PR.”

Once one of Lyndi’s classroom disciples, Nikki has now returned to the halls of the Blanche Macdonald Centre as a fellow mentor to the next generation of fledgling PR stars, coming by regularly to divulge about her rapid-fire success in the industry.

“It’s so funny because I still know some of the people in the groups that I’ve been going back to speak to. It almost makes me feel like I shouldn’t be there, but it’s great to be able to tell my story, and to share some of the mistakes I’ve made along the way. I’m so happy to be a part of this amazing family and I’ve been thrilled to come back as a mentor.”

One piece of advice that Nikki makes sure to pass down during her visits is the importance of utilizing the Career office resources.

“Get as much volunteer experience as you can! You never know where those connections could lead to; somebody could have a cousin that works for Michael Kors’ PR department. You never know who you could meet and who could help you in the future!”

So what’s next on the horizon for Nikki?

“I’m going back to New York for Fashion Week again! I’ll be going back to work with People’s Revolution, as well as attending a few shows on behalf of Style Calling to do a few show writeups for them. I’m very excited to get back there.

“Ultimately I’d love to be in New York permanently, working with my own agency but I am thinking about having my own PR and events agency here in Vancouver as well, specializing in fashion and lifestyle brands.”

With less than a year out in the industry, a killer reputation, and two Fashion Week seasons already under her belt, the future is certainly looking good for Nikki Dindo. With infinite opportunities and challenges through which to flourish scintillating just ahead, she urges those who may be yet on the fence about pursuing their passion for fashion, to forge ahead.

“The experience that you gain at Blanche Macdonald is just invaluable. Part of the reason that I was able to stay afloat in the atmosphere of People’s Revolution was that I had so much experience behind me, that I was confident in what I was doing and was able to make decisions based on what I learned here. It’s so, so important to seize every experience.”

“It was incredible to see Mario’s images when they’d come through for the first time. Soon after I started he shot the cover of German Vogue with Miley Cyrus. It was instantly clear that I was working with someone very important.”

Blanche Macdonald Fashion Merchandising graduate Bradley Fairall isn’t the only person who speaks about Mario Testino in reverential terms. As a paid intern in London, England with arguably the World’s most famous Fashion Photographer, Bradley’s had a dream start in the fashion industry. Now he’s back in Vancouver, the lessons he learned continue to guide his career trajectory.

“Every day in London I would pick up new things,” he continues. “I learned that Creative Direction is where I’d really like to go. It’s about developing an eye for things and being able to translate a brief into an image; seeing what the client is after and putting together a team that will be able to create it. In London I could see how important Creative Directors were in magazines and advertising.”

As an intern at Mario Testino +, the photographer’s in-house art department and production company, Bradley’s responsibilities within the team were to research images for developing ideas, concepts, and casting, along with trend forecasting and producing newsletters, ensuring the entire organisation stayed informed on the latest developments. It was an exciting and challenging role that drew heavily on the fashion history education Bradley received at Blanche Macdonald. It also helped that he was very familiar with working as part of a team, having come to the fashion industry after a career as an elite professional cyclist.

“I took a roundabout route to fashion,” he laughs. “I started racing mountain bikes and had reached the Canadian National Team when I was still in high school. Then I switched over to professional road cycling and also rode with the National Team. I rode in three World Championships and the Under-26 Tour de France. It’s very difficult physically and mentally. You travel a lot and you’re tired all the time. And it’s extremely competitive. After a few years I looked at what I wanted to do and decided to pursue some other options.”

Riding and living in Europe did more than keep Bradley astronomically fit. It also opened a door to a second passion.

“I developed an interest in fashion while travelling around Europe – especially Paris. I’d always liked clothes and photography. It just wasn’t in the forefront of my mind when I was a professional rider.

“When I moved back to Vancouver through a cycling connection I started working at Mark James Ltd, a high end men’s boutique, on West Broadway. When that closed I realized that there were more elements of fashion I found interesting. Which is what made me come to Blanche Macdonald.”

Pushing limits were the norm as a professional cyclist. Bradley wanted a Fashion School where he’d be challenged in a different way. 

“What appealed to me was that the Fashion Merchandising program was condensed and I could do a year of serious study. And obviously Blanche Macdonald is well connected and can provide students with work opportunities. One of my old teammates, Cameron Evans, had graduated and he said it was good. He’s at Aritzia now.

“Going into Fashion School my knowledge was more in menswear. I was already reading magazines, but once I started classes I was able to get to know the photographers. After time, and Tyler Udall’s Communication course, I found myself being more interested in advertising. I began thinking about moving towards Art Direction – the in-between area between styling and photography. I really enjoyed picking Peggy Morrison and Tyler’s brains. They have such depth of knowledge in all different areas. That’s what I liked the most, learning about stuff that you don’t hear about all the time ­– like fashion history. Getting to know how what’s happened before is influencing what’s happening now. Your understanding of what’s happening in the industry expands so much.”

Blanche Macdonald delivered more than the fashion education Bradley used at Mario Testino +. It also gave him the connections to make the journey from Vancouver to London a risk worth taking.

“I wanted to try moving out of Vancouver to look at some bigger fashion markets. The scene in London is young, creative and vibrant. I was super drawn to that. A lot of the stronger independent magazines and young designers are based in London.

“I arrived in London with no guarantees, although Blanche Macdonald had set me up with a meeting with the incredible Laura Rule, who was the Creative Director at Mario Testino +. She actually did a talk at Blanche a few months ago. Laura said I would be doing almost exactly what I was looking for and Tyler put in a good word on my behalf. Essentially, it was perfect.”

Mario Testino’s history speaks for itself. His photos of Princess Diana are some of the most famous portraits of the 20th Century. His A-List shoots for Vogue and Vanity Fair complement with his continual work for major fashion houses including Burberry, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana, Estee Lauder and Michael Kors.

“Mario’s done some major stuff. Of course that’s exciting. But what I found most fascinating was the process: from bringing in a client, Laura would then go to Milan for the shows and conceptualize a direction, along with targeted areas of research based on the collection and fuse that with the Mario Testino + brand. After being directed, me and my colleague Natalie Hasseck, would take that concept and references to build sketchbooks of image research.

“We’d edit that based on what Mario and Laura liked, and work on refining it until we found something that was the best fit for the brief. Then we moved into the casting stage, which was always interesting, especially if multiple girls were needed.

“There are elements of my contributions in every shoot that happened while I was there. On the Etro Fall/Winter campaign the research that I worked on for Mario, Laura and the client was definitely visible in the final product. It was very exciting to see that my work had played a part in a campaign for a major fashion house.”

Vancouver is a long way from London, but Bradley is keen to point out that the lessons he learned at Blanche Macdonald were beyond helpful once he found himself in the offices of the world’s leading fashion photographer.

“From my time at Blanche Macdonald I had the feel for fashion and a knowledge I could bring to Mario Testino +. I knew who the designers are and who the big photographers are and were. A lot of the research we were doing was based in the 50s, 60s and 70s, which I was exposed to through Peggy’s classes. Having that base of knowledge to draw from and expand from was probably the most useful thing I learned at Fashion School. Tyler’s class really helped me develop an eye for things. When you’re looking for inspiration or trying to convey your vision to a client everything becomes much easier when you know and understand your references and why they work together. There’s a certain level of quality that you need to present when you’re showing images to Mario. Things you feel could potentially influence his work need to be at an extremely high standard. You need to know the markers of quality.”

Bradley’s back in Vancouver now, adding Graphic Design skills to the Creative Direction expertise he’s already absorbed. On his ride to success he understands that knowledge, combined with a professional attitude, can take you a long way.

“You need to develop relationships with people. You need to make a good impression and take advantage of connections. So much of this industry is, ‘do you know someone who would be good for this?’ You need to have a base knowledge of forecasting and how to develop a trend. You need to know all the photographers, models and designers. If you want to get into this industry, absorb everything you can about fashion.” 

Inspiring doesn’t begin to describe the spectacular day we spent with Award-Winning Makeup Artist Siân Richards!

Blanche Macdonald’s Atelier Campus was set aflame with the bold banter of the British-born, world renowned Makeup Artist and Founder of bespoke brush line London Brush Company, who flew in from L.A. just to share her wisdom with us. Students, graduates, instructors, and IATSE Local 891 members gathered to glean insider tips on the TV & Film industry – and they left with far more than they had bargained for.   

Flitting about the stage like a spark, Siân had the crowd alternating between roars of laughter and absolute rapture, flinging her words to the space with a fearlessness and authenticity that made quick friends of everyone in the room.  

Her poise in balancing confidence with humility became all the more impressive once she explained her incredible journey. Opening with a slideshow of her favourite works Siân narrated her adventures spanning the sets of Apocalypto, Seed of Chucky, television series Prime Suspect, and Cloud Atlas (for which she won the Critics Choice Award for Best Makeup with her jaw-dropping transformative makeups on Halle Berry).

“I’ve been doing this for 26 years now and I still get really, really excited,” she smiled. “I mean, how many jobs are there where you get to see something blown up one day, and meet Marie Antoinette the next?”

Such oddities were standard fare growing up as a second generation Makeup Artist, trailing her Dad Hu Richards on set from the age of four. She phoned in to the BBC Makeup Academy at age ten full of resolution, only to be gently turned away and told to return when she had at least eleven more years under her belt. When the years had passed and the Academy had closed its doors, Siân turned to Art School.

“Art gave me the confidence to let go.

“You have to learn what they teach you at School and then break each and every rule to find you in your artistry. The moment you throw out the formula, you throw out the paint-by-numbers, is the moment you know your self worth as an artist. It’s very, very important to know your value. If you don’t know how valuable you are how can anyone else?”

Siân stressed the importance of being aware of other artists in order to create your own style. She bombarded the crowds with imagery of her favourite photographers, painters, illustrators and graffiti artists (“If you don’t know Banksy, shame on you!”) commanding due awe and attention to the people that have shaped her as an artist, makeup or otherwise.

“Go to an art exhibition, go to a gallery, go see sculpture, know about Rembrandt, know about Rodin, know about all of these great masters! Look at the way they paint and the way they think outside of the box. Because that is exactly what you, as a Makeup Artist, need to be great.

“I mean, come ON guys, we can use this!” Siân exclaimed, sweeping open her arms in grand gesture at the particularly stunning skeletal framework of a cathedral dome.

“You can bring all of this into your work but you have to see it in order to replicate it. You’ve have to LOOK.” 

The screen dimmed and Siân pivoted to face the crowd.

“Now, who’s brave enough to take me on,” she challenged, eyes glinting, sprinting about thrusting the microphone at thrilled students. “I’m not here to perform a monologue!”

As the hands flew up and the crowd began engaging with Siân’s myriad of experiences, the spectacular advice rained down like treasures. And we were scooping it up by the fistful.

“I used to write to makeup artists and say to them, ‘Can I come clean your brushes? Can I come sweep the hair off the floor? Is there anything that needs doing?’ You have to have humility and you need to understand that you have to work up. We’ll see the ones who really want it in the ones that really lend themselves out. We love that. When you put yourself out on the line for your art, we will absolutely give you the chance if we can.

“Don’t be rigid. Let the currents of life let you take you where you want to be. It took me a long time to get into movies because the film industry was in recession when I finished makeup school. So I joined a modeling agency as a makeup artist and went from there.”

Even if beauty makeup wasn’t where she ultimately wanted to end up, an open mind and fierce work ethic saw her traveling the globe, taking her through everything from headshots, to commercial work, high fashion editorials and the heat of the runway. It wasn’t quite the feature film work that she was looking for, but she insists that everything that she learned, she still uses to this day.    

“People seem to think that if you do beauty you do beauty. If you do film you do film. If you do effects you do effects – NO you don’t! You do MAKEUP! You do Makeup, and you can do anything. Don’t limit yourself.

“Diversity is the key to success.”

To be diverse takes a certain pliability and dauntlessness in the face of the unknown. Siân revealed that in her first film gig as Design Head – a production starring David Bowie no less – she had “totally blagged it,” teaching herself continuity and script breakdown know-how as she went along. It wasn’t always easy, but it’s allowed her to appreciate the power of support and of bringing your positivity on set.        

“When times are tough and you’re tired, you bring each other up and there’s a sense of camaraderie in which you can manage those days or those hours. It really is marvelous because everyone has each other’s backs, you feel very safe, it’s not a competition and it’s a really beautiful, creative and heartwarming experience.

As the students packed in tight around the stage for Siân’s demo, the scene turned almost barbaric in special effects bloodlust.

“Shall we give her a nosebleed?” she called out, the crowd replying with roars of approval.

Watching Siân work was a veritable treat. Her slew of witticisms as free-flowing as before, she channeled this same ease and candor to her work, creating and developing as she went along.

“I have an idea and then I just let it be organic,” she said, smudging at a bit of blood with her forearm and standing back to admire the effect. Students and IATSE members alike sat agape with wonder, watching her transform her Kryolan powder blushes and eyeshadows into a special effects palette with a few spritzes of water.

This ability to improvise and think on your feet comes in handy in the industry too. On set of Cloud Atlas, she recalled having to create one of Halle’s most extensive transformations – a six-piece silicone look where she is covered in tattoos – live on the day with no time to practice or prep. Though she soared through on that occasion, she admits that even she doesn’t have a perfect track record.

“Have you ever had a time where your makeup test just went bad? You wait – it’s awesome.

“It’s OK to screw up. You’re going to. You learn from your mistakes. It’s OK to do makeup tests that don’t work because that’s how you know that the makeup test is going to work the next time around. You can only realize how to improve your work if you realize what doesn’t work.”

Adding the last touch strokes of depth to her masterful scarred face look, Siân directed her advice to the current students in the crowd.

“The beauty of Makeup School is that you are in a beautiful cocoon that enables you to mess up and make mistakes and be fallible. In the real world you also make mistakes, only if you do, you might not get hired again.

“Use this time at School to be really daring and adventurous so that you can do it in a nurturing environment. That’s what school is all about. You have some of the best guiding you here at Blanche Macdonald and they’re always going to have your back. And you know what? You won’t be fired for it.”

Having been immersed in the thrust and thrill of the industry for over a quarter century, Siân is still far from slowing down. Her beautiful bespoke brush line London Brush Company has become an internationally lauded phenomenon in its own right. And it comes as no surprise – she has approached the craft of her collection with the same integrity and finesse that has built her career.

“Let’s be excellent. Why would you want to be anything less? Do you think Ve Neill goes, ‘Oh I have a bit of a headache, I’m not really up to putting in the effort.’ No. They turn up, they bring their A-game and they do amazing stuff all of the time. ALL of the time.

“If you only aspire to be good, it’s not enough. You should aspire to be superb, not good. Good is mediocrity. Mediocrity never succeeds. If you want to be excellent, think outside the box, it’s essential. It is absolutely essential.”

Big thanks and big love to Siân for a dynamic and delightful afternoon! We can’t wait until the next visit! For now, check out her spectacular London Brush Company hand-crafted brushes, cleansers and accessories at CurliQue Beauty.

Gloria Sion Kim remembers discovering that she was going to embark on a Makeup adventure that would change her life. So does her family.

“I always check my email before I go to bed,” recalls Gloria. “It was 2am, and my grandmother was asleep next to me. I saw a message from Heather Wisner from IMATS saying ‘Congratulations: You’ve been selected to be a finalist at the Sydney IMATS’. I screamed, and of course my parents came rushing in. ‘What happened!’”

The drama had just begun. One month later Gloria was on stage in Sydney, accepting the First Place Trophy having won the IMATS Beauty/Fantasy competition for her dazzling interpretation of a Ki-Wa, a traditional Korean House, giving a sense of time and place to the theme of Art Through the Ages.

“It’s art, but it’s also a Beauty/Fantasy competition so it has to be beautiful. I had two hours to complete the makeup and I finished with 15 minutes left, so I did some more detailing by hand, which showed my skill and definitely helped. Everyone was telling me that I was going to win, but I still wasn’t expecting it. When Michael Key announced that I had won I started crying and had to sit down! I couldn’t believe it. There were a lot of cameras flashing and I was so happy.”

Looking back, there seems to be a sense of inevitability about Gloria’s triumph. Having arrived in Canada when she was 15, the Korean-born artist was already an accomplished painter when she began thinking about taking her art to a different kind of canvas.

“A friend of mine had been to Blanche Macdonald and told me that they could help me find a good job as an artist. I thought it looked really interesting.

“At Makeup School my classmates supported each other like we were family. All the instructors were amazingly friendly to students, even though they were really strict with things like our timekeeping. Halfway through the year I thought I would go into either Fashion or TV and Film. But as soon as I took airbrush classes with Daemon Cadman I knew that it was what I wanted to do. Bodypainting is my art!”

It was Fashion Makeup Instructor Jon Hennessey who first noticed that Gloria’s work had a unique artistic touch. He suggested that she should investigate entering the IMATS. Her Makeup career, aided by the Blanche Macdonald Careers Department, was already booming; bridal, graduation and prom jobs keeping her so busy that she couldn’t apply for the North American IMATS. But she managed to get her portfolio in for the Sydney competition, which led to the email, flight and two hours that changed her life.

“Soon after I came back from Sydney I went to meet a popular wedding photography company and they asked me if I was the same girl who had just won the IMATS. They knew my name and my winning Makeup. As soon as I came back to Canada I started getting higher paying jobs! They know I’ll do great work.

“I’m growing my portfolio with photographers all the time, but I’m also doing bridal work, and TV and Film, a lot of aging makeup, with film students at UBC. And it’s Halloween season now, so I’ve been extra busy!”