Sara Aliko (Model, Producer)

I met Sara at the first photoshoot we held for our university runway show back in 2020. Having Sara as a dear friend now, I can only attribute our friendship to the creative and personal growth that occurred for the both of us between that shoot and this writing. She was studying nutrition at the time but had a passion for performance and the camera which led her to volunteer with us. When I first photographed her that day she would crack jokes frequently to ease tension she was feeling in front of the camera. I too was learning to better connect with my subjects at the time so our interactions were somewhat rough around the edges.

As the years progressed Sara came by the university studio whenever I reached out to her with a photoshoot idea I wanted to try. Her willingness to show up helped expedite her learning process as we practiced our crafts (photography and modelling), together. Fast forward to 2023- When Sara walks into a room, heads are always turning. Her confidence isn’t second-guessed. Her approach to runway is bold and rehearsed. When the camera points at her, she’s at WORK. We learned to bounce creativity, play and ideas around as artists without harsh criticism, only the desire to grow, which has been humbling while teaching me the value of true character. She is a fantastic artist and one I want to be around.

This leads to my final point: Sara is a model inside and out. While our artistic paths crossed frequently throughout the years, we made it a point to reach beyond the art and invest in each other’s lives. We shared a similar value: art comes second, people come first. Sara has an innate capacity to form genuine connections with everyone she meets which is why she became a go-to point of contact within Toronto’s fashion scene. On her initiative, she started FA Co., a fashion-based production services collaborative made to connect artists and create quality content. I’m extremely grateful to have met the artist and person that is Sara and look forward to seeing all the BIG things she’ll be working on in the future!

Natalia Cza (Model)

I met and photographed Natalia (TFP) on such a beautiful Saturday morning in the summer. She was easy to relate to as an artist: she recently finished her studies in biology when Covid threw a wrench in the job market (and global economy). She wanted to try modelling as a pastime until life picks up again. I respect the artists that create when there’s nothing to gain but art itself and this shoot was exactly that: a small break from daily mundanity and a tap into the creative. If I took anything away from this shoot it was how character makes all the difference. She had a great deal of sarcasm that had to break through the facade of stiff professionalism before it showed on camera. I truly believe it was the banter that allowed her to open up by the end to show emphasized gestures and facial expressions that made her image set. We joked how she would be a great hand model; she was very comfortable with her hand on/near her head, which we made the most of, and I’m sure as she continues modelling we’ll see strong use of hand/arm gestures in her poses!