Judging Miss Universe Canada 2012 GTA & Central Ontario Preliminary Competition

  

On Saturday December 3, 2011, I was very honoured to attend and be a judge in The Miss Universe Canada 2012 Preliminary Competition. At the preliminary level, 34 beauties from the General Toronto Area and Central Ontario compete to reach the Top 12. The Top 12 then advance to compete in the Miss Universe Canada 2012 nationals in June. The winner at the nationals would then advance to represent Canada at the Miss Universe Beauty pageant in September. This was my second time judging at the preliminary level. All the girls looked polished, stunning, and happy as they showcased their beauty, personality and intelligence on stage at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts (The Jane Mallet Theatre) in Toronto. The judges had had the opportunity to interview and to get to know all the competitors in a more private setting prior to the main event.  Like in any other competition, there is always a winner. The competition was stiff. I was faced with a tough decision to make considering that this is not the type of competition where winners are chosen for having just a pretty face. Winners were chosen based on their social skills, ability to answer questions intelligently, and their appearance, to say the least. I was very impressed and am wishing all the beauties the best of luck. Thank you to the organizers of Miss Universe Canada for allowing me to judge this amazing competition.

The Top 12 Preliminary Contestants are as follows:

·         Anna Pietrovich

·         Dajana Radovanovic

·         Kesiah Papasin

·         Alena Konovalova

·         Amanda Kazmierczak

·         Lisa Wong

·         Diana Schoutsen

·         Chelsi Mittelholzer

·         Natka Brestovanska

·         Maria Nahri

·         Katerina Kiprich

·         Marta Jablonska

The Special Awards Winners are as follows:

·         People’s Choice – Maria Nahri

·         Miss Congeniality – Maria Nahri

·         Miss Photogenic – Marta Jablonska

·         Best Hair: Dajana Radovanovic

Follow
 @ShellinaE - http://www.shellina.ca/
@MUniCanada - http://beautiesofcanada.com/muc/

In session with Tarek Al-Azbat: One of Canada’s Top Hand Bag Designers Mentors Fashion Entrepreneurs

Last week I was one of the lucky designers to be mentored by Tarek Al-Azbat. He is the creative director and head designer of Nella Bella, a handbag brand. His mentorship comes  as part of the Passion for Fashion workshop series,   in partnership with the Toronto Fashion Incubator,  and Youth Employment Services in Toronto.

As one of the top hand bag designers in Canada, Tarek happily shared with us the ins and outs of how he started his career as a handbag designer, what  made him successful, mistakes that he made, how he overcame obstacles,  and offered sound advice to young entrepreneurs starting out in the fashion industry.

Some of the advice he shared with us is as follows:

·         Focus on what energizes you because it’s what you will be successful at.

·         Challenge yourself.

·         Do not give up. Learn to take the positive and skip the negative. People will shut you down but someone will say yes. Where there is a will, there is a way.

·         Do not mix pride with ego.  Remember to always respect others and that way, you can be respected too.

·         Silence is gold. If you are not sure of your feelings, don’t say anything at all. Trust your gut.

·         Keep your creativity alive by thinking outside the box and getting inspired by different things.

The Passion for Fashion workshops comprise of a series of 6 workshops that are offered 5 times over a four month period. Only upon completion of the 6 series of workshops can one be eligible to meet with mentors, to attend seminars with Industry professionals, and to enter the Fashionista’s Den Competition. The Fashionista’s Den is an opportunity to pitch a fashion business idea to a panel of judges. The winner will receive $1000, a one-year free TFI Outreach membership,  and 50 hours of business advisory and fashion mentorship (prize package valued at $45,000)

The 6 Passion for Fashion workshop series are as follows:

·         Operations and Set-up (Instructed by Richard Healy)

·         Pricing (Instructed by Richard Healy)

·         Marketing and Financial Management (Instructed by Richard Healy)

·         Introduction to the Business of Fashion (Instructed by Kendra Francis)

·         Sales and Marketing (Instructed by Melanie Bozzo)

·         Publicity and Presentation (Instructed by Gail McInnes)

I cannot begin to describe how valuable the Passion for Fashion workshop series and mentorship program is to young designers and entrepreneurs like me who am constantly searching for knowledge and the right advice to guide us in achieving our dreams. While the fashion industry in Toronto is quite small, aspiring fashion entrepreneurs in Toronto are very lucky to have mentors such as Tarek, and fashion business workshops funded by our government.

I thank all the Instructors, Mentors, Industry professionals, Youth Employment Services, Toronto Fashion Incubator and Passion for Fashion Coordinator Gail McInnes for their time and effort in helping us become better at what we love to do.

Follow: @ShellinaE

@nellabellabrand

@TarekNB

@YESToronto

 @Iamfranke

@GailMcInnes

 #PFFToronto

Fashion Trends in The Age of Global Warming

While the melting ice bergs and the rising sea levels continue to be a modern day dilemma, fashion designers are continuing to allow global warming and environmental protection to inspire their collections.  So much so that retail giants such as Liz Claiborne have recently started consulting with climatologists regarding fabric type, retail delivery dates, etc.  Clearly, the damage we have done to our mother earth and our urge to protect it are having a huge influence on today’s fashion trends.  If you are a fashion nerd like me, you’ve probably started thinking about how you’ll be dressing in the age where the billion dollar fashion industry is becoming the next victim of global warming.

   Firstly, we are seeing an increase in warmer temperatures. This means that the definite distinction between Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer seasons might not be so apparent after all.  As this continues to happen, we should expect to see a trend towards more light weight and season less clothing.  If you see me rocking organic cotton white shorts, blouses, and dresses all year long please don’t judge! Just saying.





Diesel Global warming ready campaign, "Tropical plants growing in Paris."

Diesel In-House team: Wilbert Das, Antonella Viero, Lucinda Spera and Giulia Castellini Photographer: Terry Richardson Creative designers: global agency Marcel, executive creative director/copywriter/account supervisor Frederic Temin, creative director/art director Nicholas Chauvin, art director/typographer Romin Favre.





Diesel Global warming ready campaign, "Sandy Desert overtakes the China wall."

Diesel Global warming ready campaign, "Tropical plants growing in Paris."

Diesel In-House team: Wilbert Das, Antonella Viero, Lucinda Spera and Giulia Castellini Photographer: Terry Richardson Creative designers: global agency Marcel, executive creative director/copywriter/account supervisor Frederic Temin, creative director/art director Nicholas Chauvin, art director/typographer Romin Favre.

  We are already seeing a growing trend towards eco-fashion. Many designers have begun to use eco-friendly fabrics such as organic cotton and other natural fibres that are more environmentally friendly. As a fashion designer that uses mostly cotton grown in East Africa, I do appreciate that some designers are embracing the shift towards eco-fabrics. This priceless choice by designers is bringing awareness to the damage we have done to our environment through fashion,  but it is also demonstrating how we can contribute to protecting it through fashion.



Dress from Shellina Spring/Summer 2011 Collection made of cotton grown in Tanzania. Photographer: Mario Miotti, MUA: Mahsa Soldouzi,  MODELS: (Spot 6 Management Inc.)  Elizabeth Couture Doherty, Renelle Gray.



What does this mean for fashionistas like you and I?

-We’ll see a lot of fashion influenced by the arctic protection movement and by a general feeling of sensitivity and consciousness towards earth. Think love of things frozen: snowy landscapes, snowballs, ice cubes, and sensitive adventures.  Expect to see a lot of white on whites, shades of blue, brown, mahogany, and a touch of turquoise. For Fall 2011, camel will be the new gray and tribal pigments from tribal days (e.g. blue) will be applied naturally to give that craft feeling.

-Folklore craft will be a growing trend. Natural and fossilized things in nature such as horns, bones, wooden accessories are becoming popular.  Think fish skin ear rings rather than animal skin.



Earings made of fish skin and scales



My First Article for IQ Trusted Magazine: What's Your Fashion flavour?

http://www.iqtmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=19&Itemid=81

Passion for Fashion

I recenty decided to turn my passion for fashion into reality and created a website to showcase my work.

This is me wearing one of my tribal inspired designs. I created this piece by using red satin purchased in Toronto as well as a traditional sarong called kanga from Tanzania. This sarong's Swahili  proverb says that, "Kila ndege huruka kwa bawa lake," meaning, every bird uses it's own wings to fly. You may find more of my creative work on my website http://www.shellina.ca/ as well as on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shellinaebrahim.designer. Enjoy!