ANNABEL
Annabel started modeling in 2007 when she won a Canadian nation-wide model search hosted by Vervegirl Magazine, which is distributed to hundreds of high schools across Canada. The purpose of this model search was to celebrate the wide diversity of Canadian beauty. Out of nearly 2000 girls who entered, 6 girls were chosen by a panel of judges made up of actress Lauren Collins of Degrassi, the Next Generation, eTalk's (CTV) Elaine Lui of laineygossip.com, esteemed Montreal photographer Malina Corpadean and Karen Lee, the North American scouting executive of Elite model management. Covered by MTV, Annabel was featured on the cover of the magazine and had an editorial fashion spread inside. Since then she has been modeling in Vancouver and gained agency representation with JK Models. She currently attends university full time in order to pursue Medicine, so modeling is a part time hobby.
How does slipping into BHANA clothing make you feel?
BHANA clothing has an empowering effect on all who don this elegant apparel. As soon as I slip into a BHANA design, be it formal evening wear or a professional office skirt, I feel confident and beautiful on the inside and out. That is one of the great things about this clothing line; it makes one look fantastic on the outside, but feel really strong, powerful and beautiful on the inside. The clothes feel like they were created with you in mind, so you never feel uncomfortable despite your new found level of self-confidence.
How is BHANA set apart from other brands? Does it fit differently?
BHANA possesses a unique elegance that sets it apart from many other brands. All of the designs are truly original and creative, allowing the wearer to feel one of a kind and special unlike so many popular mass produced clothing lines. The apparel is classic and yet modern, and infuses just the right amount of trend into the clothes. So many other clothing lines over saturate their apparel with the latest trends in fashion, making them easy to shove to the back of your closet at the start of a new season. The brand's use of gorgeous quality fabrics like rich silks and its chic and timeless appeal make BHANA items wearable for years to come. The fit of the clothes is amazing, displaying the best features of any body type.
What occasion(s) would you wear BHANA?
BHANA has such a wonderful variety of designs, so I could wear them anywhere really! There are some wonderful pieces that would be great for a professional day at the office or gorgeous evening wear for special occasions such as weddings or holiday parties. There are also other wonderful items that are elegant yet casual enough to wear out during a day out on the town!
Why do you choose to model BHANA?
The designer has a great vision and admiration for diversity and unity of cultures. Trisha Rampersad has the capability to design items that have a wonderful ethnic flare to them, yet still manages to keep them fresh and modern. The brand represents unity and inner forms of beauty, and this is shown by the wonderfully diverse group of models Rampersad chooses to work with. By diverse, I am not just referring to culture, but also various heights and body types. She truly believes in inner excellence, choosing to work with diverse models that would otherwise be deemed unfit by the fashion industry due to its unattainable standards of physical beauty. The brand is not just about fashion, it encompasses an appreciation for culture, global unity, and inner beauty and confidence. These are things I believe in, and it is what BHANA believes in. This common ground between the brand and myself is why I choose to model for this amazing line.
Why do you choose to model?
I love modeling because I love fashion! It's as simple as that really. Modeling is a wonderful creative outlet for me because it's such a great way to tell a story with clothes. The way a body moves in a photograph, the thought behind a model's eyes; it tells a story about the garments he/she is wearing and how those clothes inspire mood, and I think that's a beautiful thing. BHANA’s designs are items that each have their own story behind them, and to be part of those stories is an amazing feeling. My main motivation behind modeling however is my innate desire to infuse some much needed diversity into the world of fashion. I just think today's vision of what's beautiful is ridiculously narrow and it needs to change. When people become inspired by diversity and start to perceive it as beautiful, I believe the movement towards global unity will be closer.