Page 23 - Real Style Spring 2017

winner’s CirCle
Three rising stars on their CAFA nominations.
“i am truly humbled by this nomination. i think it is very important to dream. dreams
do come true if you really align your thoughts and actions.” Garima Tewari
“i have two small
children and
trying to chase
your dreams while
planning on giving
your kids everything
they deserve is extremely
dif cult. i’ve had many guilt-
lled days where i’ve felt terrible for the time and money i’ve taken away from them, but now with this nomination, i know i’m where i belong and i have something worth struggling for.” Nina Kharey
“i feel grateful to be recognized
for all my work by a great organization.”
Malorie Urbanovitch
houSe of nonie Malorie urbanovitCh
my factory workers are paid good wages and that I am conscious of where my materials are coming from. Transparency is more dif cult to achieve than you might think, but it’s always worth looking into, and it’s something that really matters to me,” Urbanovitch says.
Passion seems to be the driving force behind this year’s CAFA- nominated emerging designers. This is certainly the case for House of Nonie designer Nina Kharey, who is up for the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent. Her structured yet modern pieces include peplum dresses and blouses, creamy white frocks and bohemian-chic ponchos.
Kharey launched her line in 2008 in her hometown of Calgary, and blossomed under the mentorship of former Holt Renfrew fashion direc- tor Barbara Atkin. However, the way ahead was not easy for Kharey, who is also a mother of two young children. She looks back on her personal journey as a rewarding yet certainly arduous one.
“You have to learn to keep pushing and never stop believing in your product. Barbara Atkin told me in the beginning that I’m on a very long and dif cult road—she wasn’t lying,” Kharey says. Despite the dif culties, she describes her CAFA nomination as “amazing” and says it has “made all the effort worth it.”
CAFA co-founder and president Vicky Milner would agree. “The exposure for many people has been wonderful. It’s also been great to give young designers the knowledge that a platform like this exists in their home country,” she says.
A success in itself, the CAFAs give Canadians everywhere a chance to applaud and support local talent, while launching yet another genera- tion of style stars into the international spotlight. Through the annual spring event, the awards are a welcome harbinger of things to come, especially from Canada’s emerging fashion talent.
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