teenLook Year-end Special 2020 - Dorian Cushing Cover

teenLook 

c a n a d a 

JANUARY 

2020 

FASHION 

Alberto Vega 

MISS TEEN CANADA 

Abigail Birn 

MR. G 

DORIAN 

man and the 

magazine 

cushing 

M o d e r n Boy 

YEAR END 

SPECIAL


M A G A Z I N E 

YEAR END 

SPECIAL

photo | Deb Ann Photography 

Dorian was first featured last year in our September issue. He 

is continuing to pursue his passion and dreams in the industry. 

teenLook is very proud to feature him as the cover model this 

month! Read and see more about Dorian on page 46. 

teenLook


Creative Director 

& Founder 

James Goodwin 

70 

Featured fashion 

of the month 

Alberto Vega 

Assistant Marketing 

& Media 

Dara Eckel 

teenLook Magazine 

HOW TO CONTACT US 

Website 

Email 

teenlook.ca 

info@teenlook.ca 

Facebook : Teen Look Magazine 

Instagram @ teen_look_magazine 

EDITORIAL AND FEATURES 

It is free for models, photographers and 

creatives to submit and to be featured 

in teenLook. We feature creative teens 

aged 11-17 worldwide. Please see the 

submission guidelines on our website 

at teenlook.ca 

Email inquiries are welcome at 

info@teenlook.ca 

teenLook Magazine is a free bi-monthly 

publication produced by Desire Film 

Studios and is a print on demand 

publication through MagCloud. 

https://www.magcloud.com/user/teenlook 

to view all publications. 

Copyright © teenLook publications 

Edmonton, AB, Canada 

All rights reserved | 2020 

VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 1 

JANUARY - 2020 

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - CANADA 

A TEENLOOK PUBLICATION 

co 

nt 

en 

ts 

50 

Dorian Cushing 

M o d e r n Boy 

MR. G 

46 

t 

l 

15 

E 

o o 

72 

Featured teen 

of the month 

Abigail Birn 

E n 

k 

m a g a z i n e 

A year in review 

THE MAN BEHIND THE MAGAZINE

Featured Models 


6 MADELINE mcnanie 37 

10 MILENA raso 

38 

16 DANIELLE wackerhagen 42 

20 TALAYNA ekelund 54 

24 ETHAN atwood 62 

28 SOPHIA lia 

66 

32 NICOLE goodwin 76 

36 JAZMINE alycia 58 

DOMINIQUE kachkan 

ARIZONA skeoch 

MAKAELA maas 

MACIE jo 

SCARLETT brining 

LUNA lim 

HARRISON higgins 

SOPHIA'S corner 


Be featured with us in our next issue! It’s 

free and easy. 

Send your submissions to info@teenlook.ca 

We feature up to 20 teen 

models in every issue. 

We include a special feature 

for an inspirational teen, 

a music spotlight, 

a photographer spotlight, 

and a fashion spotlight 

also teen editorials written 

by teens for teens!

ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

MADELINE 

m c n a n i e 

COLUMBUS, OHIO - USA 

13 YEAR-OLD MODEL-ACTRESS-SINGER 

IG - madeline.k.mcnanie 

6 

Madeline McNanie is 13 years old and from 

Columbus, Ohio. She has been acting and 

singing in theatre productions since she 

was very young and recently signed with 

Heyman Talent Agency. 

Madeline is a straight A honor student in 

8’th grade at Berkshire Middle School, 

where she plays saxophone in the jazz 

band, is a member of drama club and is an 

ambassador for the school. 

Outside of school, Madeline can be found 

on the ice practicing her latest figure skating 

routine, perfecting her craft in acting 

class, or spending time with her friends 

and family. While Madeline’s main passion 

is acting and singing, she loves being in 

front of the camera and is excited to see 

where her modeling career will take her. 

photo | Shannon Williams 

hmua | Leigh Ann Pacheco Ehmann 

teenlook.ca

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hmua | Leigh Ann Pacheco Ehmann

ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

MILENA 

r a s o 

SUDBURY, ONTARIO - CANADA 

16 YEAR-OLD MODEL IG - missgreatersudbury 

10 

Milena is 16 years old and has a passion 

for modelling. Modelling to her 

isn’t about beauty, but about confidence, 

personality, and making your 

photos who you are. Milena enjoys 

commercial runway and photo 

prints, always focusing on a creative 

approach. 

To this date Milena has been a local 

model featured in various business 

commercials and print ads in her city. 

Milena brings her energy and mindset 

to every project she works on. 

photo | Bertrand Productions 

teenlook.ca

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photo | Bertrand Productions

t 

E 

E n 

l 

o o 

k 


first year review 

teenLook launched June 1, 2019, as a monthly teen publication. 

The growth and reach across the world has been phenomenal 

and overwhelming. It is from the support of all the photographers 

and models that have made each month a success. 

Thank you for being a part of this publication! I really mean 

that. You all have made this first year an amazing one. 

A total of eight issues have been published, featuring 175 teens, 

along with the respective photographers and fashion designers. 

I’m so happy to have concluded the year with such positivity 

for the magazine and look forward to seeing what 2020 brings! 

Join me as we Look back on the first year with some unpublished 

photo sets and thoughts on each issue released. 


j u n e 

t e e n 

l o o k 

DANIELLA 

wac k e r h ag e n 

c ov e r 

g i r l 

issue 

#1 

IG - daniella_wackerhagen 

red deer, ab - canada 

photo | James Goodwin 

hmua Pamela Cabanas 

16 

I first met Daniella, and her mom 

mid-October, 2018, for a fun 

Halloween themed photoshoot. 

It was a beautiful golden hour shoot 

with many amazing captures, which 

led to a second shoot early in 2019. 

This session resulted in Daniella 

submitting some of our work 

together to a magazine publication. 

I honestly didn’t even realize that 

was a thing! I looked into other 

magazines out there and decided 

that I wanted to create a publication 

that was focused directly on the teen 

modelling group. Thus, teenLook 

was born! 

I felt that because Daniella and her 

mom were the inspiring starting 

place for the creative venture, that it 

only made sense to have Daniella as 

the cover girl. 

The high-level bridge downtown, 

Edmonton, AB and also the River 

Valley were the scenic locations for 

the shoot. 

It was a great experience and an 

essential first step in the future of 

teenLook. 

teenlook.ca

f i r s t 

y e a r 

review 

17 

THE PREMIER ISSUE OF TEENLOOK - JUNE 1, 2019 

• Featuring Daniella Wackerhagen as the cover girl 

• Beauty tips from April Flores 

• Teen feature - Talayna Ekelund 

• Spotlight on Dara Eckel and Walk the Talk model 

development courses 


18 


hmua Pamela Cabanas 

teenlook.ca


19 


hmua Pamela Cabanas

j u ly 

t e e n 

l o o k 

TALAYNA 

c ov e r 

g i r l 

issue 

#2 

e k e l u n d 

IG - tally_dancer 

daysland, ab - canada 

20 

I had been chatting with Talayna, 

months in advance of creating 

the publication, about getting 

together for a photoshoot. As if 

it was meant to be, we finally got 

together to do an Audrey Hepburn 

inspired shoot as the cover 

feature for issue 2. 

I felt that Audrey’s contribution 

to fashion and her struggles as 

a teen would make a great story 

to share. Talayna’s look and style 

was a perfect fit for this feature. 

Her selfless charitable work and 

continuing devotion to help and 

give back to her community is 

also an inspiration I wanted to 

share. 

This issue was the start of 

an idea to spotlight specific 

photographers that have 

submitted their work to teenLook. 

The music feature was born in this 

issue too. 


hmua Ashley Foote 

teenlook.ca

f i r s t 

y e a r 

review 

21 

THE SECOND ISSUE OF TEENLOOK - JULY 1, 2019 

• Featuring Talayna Ekelund as the cover girl 

• Audrey Hepburn feature story 

• Teen feature - Ayden Kosko 

• Photographer Spotlight with Julienne Kim and 

Krzysztof Rzeszut 

• Music feature - Ava Domini 


22 


hmua Ashley Foote 

teenlook.ca


23 


hmua Ashley Foote

a u g u s t 

t e e n 

l o o k 

ETHAN 

c ov e r 

b o y 

issue 

#3 

at wo o d 

IG - ethanblake_model 

edmonton, ab - canada 


hmua Dara Eckel 

24 

The vintage inspiration theme 

continues with issue 3. I instantly saw 

the resemblance to James Dean in the 

submissions sent in by Ethan. 

By this point, the submissions from 

boys were extremely overshadowed 

by the girls. I honestly created the 

publication to spotlight both equally, 

but I could see the shyness of the 

guys out there. Putting Ethan on the 

cover was my way of saying it was 

cool to be a male model. 

Motoparts Edmonton generously 

shared their location to be the 

backdrop for this shoot. The collection 

of vintage parts and bikes was 

extremely righteous! 

The owner, John, even went as far as 

to share his personal vintage riding 

jacket, worn by Ethan in the photos. 

teenlook.ca

f i r s t 

y e a r 

review 

25 

THE THIRD ISSUE OF TEENLOOK - AUGUST 1, 2019 

• Featuring Ethan Atwood as the cover model 

• Feature story about movie icon - James Dean 

• Teen dance feature - Andrea Matei & Gavin Merkac 

• Photographer spotlight with Julia Skyba and Andrew 

MacLeod 

• Music feature - Alyssa Lynn 

• Fashion feature - Hotdame 


26 



teenlook.ca


27 


hmua Dara Eckel

september 

t e e n 

l o o k 

SOPHIA 

c ov e r 

g i r l 

issue 

#4 

l i a 

IG - sophiallia 

red deer, ab - canada 



28 

Sophia is such an eager 

contributor to teenLook 

that it was a natural 

decision to surprise her 

with the cover feature in 

the retro vibes of the back 

to school issue. 

We planned to meet up 

for a photo shoot one 

afternoon in Sherwood 

Park, AB, and then Dara 

and I surprised her and her 

mom with the news. We 

couldn’t have asked for a 

more beautiful day, and 

Dara’s HMU artistry was 

flawless! 

Sophia continues to write 

features for teenLook, and 

you can read her most 

recent contribution on 

page 58. 

teenlook.ca

f i r s t 

y e a r 

review 

29 

THE FOURTH ISSUE OF TEENLOOK - SEPTEMBER 1, 2019 

• Featuring Sophia Lia as the cover girl 

• Feature story about remebering the 80s 

• Teen features - Saige Edwards and the Laughlin Family 

• Photography spotlight with Tammy Deren 

• Music feature - Hailey Benedict 

• Fashion feature - Suka Clothing 


30 



teenlook.ca


31 


hmua Dara Eckel

october 

t e e n 

l o o k 

NICOLE 

g o o d w i n 

c ov e r 

g i r l 

issue 

#5 

IG - nicole.goodwinnn 




32 

For the October issue, I chose to 

feature my daughter on the cover. 

Nicole has always been a part of my 

film and photography work since she 

was a little girl, and I was very proud 

to create this issue with her on the 

cover. The owners of the Heathercrest 

Farm graciously allowed us to shoot 

on their property with their horses 

there. 

Coincidentally, the day of the shoot 

was my wife’s and I’s wedding 

anniversary. So it was an amazing day, 

indeed! 

A funny moment was when I broke 

one of the golden rules of a horse 

farm... I left a gate open! The four 

horses didn’t escape, but did get into 

a large field and took advantage of 

the freedom for a little while. 

teenlook.ca

f i r s t 

y e a r 

review 

33 

THE FIFTH ISSUE OF TEENLOOK - OCTOBER 1, 2019 

• Featuring Nicole Goodwin as the cover girl 

• Feature story about Thanksgiving 

• Teen feature - Jaida Samuel 

• Photography spotlight with Christine Main 

• Music feature - Bailey James 


34 



teenlook.ca


35 


hmua Dara Eckel

october 

t e e n 

l o o k 

HALLOWEEN 

special 

edition 

issue 

#5a 

s p e c i a l 

IG - dominiquekachkann 


IG - jazmine_alycia 

virginia - usa 

photo | Mary Keeney - Corgerz 

hmua jazmine Alycia 

36 

The Halloween special was such 

a fun issue to put together! It was 

the first special edition published 

and seeing the creativeness of 

the submissions from the teen 

models was super cool. 

It also allowed me to write a fun 

short story inspired by Jazmine's 

prom date submission, Open your 

Heart to me. 

I had a surprise shortly after the 

release; I received an email from 

an editor of a pretty well know 

and respected publication. Her 

daughter was featured in the 

issue, and she loved it, but she 

wanted to give me some advice 

and a gentle critique. It was one 

of the best surprises I have had. 

I am always willing to learn and 

push myself; I learned a lot from 

that email, but I'm still no pro... 

Working on it. 

teenlook.ca

f i r s t 

y e a r 

review 

37 

THE SPECIAL ISSUE OF TEENLOOK - OCTOBER 1, 2019 

• Featuring Dominique Kachkan as the cover girl 

• Fashion features with Kitty Scarlett Rose and Taylor 

Morris 

• Teen photo features - Jazmine Alycia, Jillian 

Dalrymple, Autumn Nielsen and Tj Coon 

• Steampunk feature by Tammy Deren including Kaley 

and Jolie Deren with Dominique Kachkan and Quintin 

Kluczny 


november 

t e e n 

l o o k 

ARIZONA 

c ov e r 

g i r l 

issue 

#6 

s k e o c h 

IG - arizona.freelance.model 

spedden, ab - canada 



38 

Remembrance Day and honouring 

our Veteran’s is a the focus of this 

issue. Arizona on the cover was an 

easy choice as her natural beauty 

and style made for a perfect and fun 

shoot. On top of it she is a Military 

cadet! 

I had an incredible experience to 

speak with Veteran and retired 

member of the Canadian Armed 

Forces, Master Warrant Officer Mac 

Torrie, at the Royal Canadian Legion. 

The Canadian Military had to look 

into the publication before it could 

be published, but thankfully they 

approved the magazine. 

Whew...! 

teenlook.ca

f i r s t 

y e a r 

review 

39 

THE SEVENTH ISSUE OF TEENLOOK - NOVEMBER 1, 2019 

• Featuring Arizona Skeoch as the cover girl 

• Feature story with Robert Torrie 

• Teen feature - Vienna Maryce 

• Photography spotlight with Devon Reed 

• Fashion feature - Ovadette 


40 



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41 


hmua Dara Eckel

december 

t e e n 

l o o k 

MAKAELA 

c ov e r 

g i r l 

issue 

#7 

m a a s 

IG - makaelamaas 

sherwood park, ab - canada 

4 



42 

I was inspired by the vintage 

Christmas issues of past 

years. Browsing the likes of 

Redbook, Vogue and Look 

magazine covers. I really 

liked the feeling of a girl and 

boy on the cover with a bit 

of mistletoe involved — a bit 

of mischief and mystery. 

This shoot was full of mischief and 

mystery actually... we snuck into 

my house to snap the Christmas 

cover shots without my wife 

knowing. She was upstairs while 

we did this. She doesn't like me 

using our home as a studio, but I 

needed a tree and an area to set 

up some lighting. 

Mission accomplished! 

P.S. 

Please don't tell her ;) 

teenlook.ca

f i r s t 

y e a r 

review 

43 

THE EIGHTH ISSUE OF TEENLOOK - DECEMBER 1, 2019 

• Featuring Makaela Maas as the cover girl 

• Teen feature - Corey Hegel 

• Teen dance feature - Andrea Matei & Bianca Vitale 

• Music feature - THRibe 

• Photography spotlight with Malele Style 

• Fashion feature - Michelle Bossert 


44 



teenlook.ca


45 


hmua Dara Eckel

ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

DORIAN 

k u s h i n g 

c ov e r 

feature 

issue 

#8 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - USA 

15 YEAR-OLD MODEL IG - doriancushing 

photo | Philip Hawthorne 

46 

School and soccer are in full swing. 

I am a 10th grader at Langley High 

School in McLean, Virginia. In soccer, I 

am a team captain and play attacking 

center midfielder for my club Loudoun 

Soccer Club. I also am a player for the 

Virginia Olympic Development Program. 

In September, I had the opportunity to 

represent Westhaven Management (in 

L.A., California) and walk the runway 

during New York Fashion Week. I was 

the only “kid” in the show, and, being 

that it was my first runway experience, 

I learned a lot. It was very chaotic, but 

fun, backstage all day. 

I am hoping that I will be selected to 

participate in New York Fashion Week 

in February 2020. 

I continue to do photoshoots to expand 

my portfolio. One of my recent 

shoots was with the very talented 

photographer Philip Hawthorne from 

Baltimore, Maryland. 

teenlook.ca

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48 


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49 

photo | Philip Hawthorne

december 

editor 

MR. G 

t h e man t h e m ag a z i n e 

50 

p h o t o 

graphy 

a r t 

words and 

photos 

mr. g 

I 

the desire to create is not to be noticed or seen, rather, the act 

of creating keeps me sane. it is something that i love to do. 

at times it seems, something i have to do. 

have dabbled in various 

forms of art and 

photography since I was 

a young boy. The 80s was 

the decade that shaped my 

ideas and thoughts. Of all 

the decades, it seems to be 

the one most referenced 

in film and music these 

days. It was a decade that 

contains the pop culture 

icons and collectibles held 

so dear in today's times. 

The reason so many of 

these toys, comics and 

cards are so valuable and 

rare is that as kids, we 

played with, read and most 

inevitably destroyed those 

toys, comics and cards! I 

have so many fond memories 

of playing topsie, 

closies and standies with 

a 1978-80 Topps Wayne 

Gretzky Rookie Card and 

many other valuable cards. 

Anyways, this all means 

that I love collectibles 

and tangible objects I can 

hold and keep safe. Well, 

now that I have a bit more 

common sense about what 

is valuable. 

I love shooting on film. 

I have cases of medium 

format negs in binders. 

Flipping through them and 

remembering the moments 

captured 15-20 years ago 

is pretty cool. In contrast, I 

have had a few hard drive 

failures recently and have 

lost countless digital "negs" 

and files that can never be 

recovered. 

My passion for art took me 

down the same path as my 

pursuits with photography. 

I inked comic pages, pinups 

and covers for almost 

eight years, working 

traditionally, pen on paper. 

I have those hard pages in 

binders and boxes too. I 

can go back and physically 

flip through and see the 

good and the bad as my 

talent progressed. I was 

fortunate to be in the right 

place at the right time and 

got the opportunity to ink 

covers for Zenescope Entertainment 

for about two 

years, working with artists 

all over the world. Not so 

unlike the creativity of the 

photographers and models 

being brought together in 

the pages of teenLook. I 

do enjoy being part of a 

creative team. 

Creating short films is also 

another passion that ties 

directly with my photography 

pursuits. The photo 

sets created for a 3-minute 

short film was much more 

thought compelling and 

evolved the story in ways 

the actual film couldn't. In 

some cases, it was the photography 

that opened the 

doors for more film work. 

The most recent creative 

venture that has grasped 

me is this publication. 

Building and creating 

something that everyone 

involved in can be proud 

to be a part of, is what 

drives me and takes the little 

free time I have now. It 

does get quite overwhelming 

at times. Reading and 

answering e-mails, saving 

and organizing photo sets 

for each model to be published 

and chasing down 

all the pertinent details 

required. Creating something 

new and original 

each month...especially on 

time can be very demanding. 

But, it is also gratifying 

to see how far the 

magazine is reaching and 

for it being a safe platform 

for teen models to showcase 

their talents — giving 

the talented photographers 

a place to exhibit 

their work. A portfolio for 

everyone included, from 

MUA, HMUA, models, 

designers, musicians and 

photographers and everyone 

else involved in the 

publication. 

I hope you will enjoy 

learning a little more about 

the man behind the magazine 

as I share some of my 

work with you and understand 

why I am doing what 

I do. The magazine is for 

all of you, and I will do my 

best to make every issue 

better and better.

left | Digital fantasy composite ideas 

below | Medium Format stills of my first film idea, 

The Sword and the Amulet. / 2005 

far left / Early concept art for the comic book version 

of the story. 

51 

Pencils - Giuseppe Cafaro 

Inked page 

Final release 

Pencils - Giuseppe Cafaro 

Inked page 

above / Examples of the comic art process. Pencil art is inked to create 

a clean black and white plate that is then coloured by another artist / 

2014 Zenescope Entertainment 

left / Inking examples 

below / Colour samples of an inked pin-up 

Final release 

The stylistic differences 

of two 

colourists are 

clearly seen on 

the same inked 

pin-up. 

Thundercats 

Pencils - Steven Sanchez 

GI Joe 

Pencils - Joe Madura 

Google search "devgear" 

to see more of my work. 

Colourist - Eddy Swan 

Inked page 

Velocity - pencils - 

Kenneth Rocafort 

Colourist - Sean Ellery

film 

The production value for the short films I wrote and 

directed were actually pretty good due to the creative 

talent of my good friend, Mike. He created the wardrobe 

and crafted the amour and fantasy costumes we 

used. His one regret in high school was not pursuing 

drama... so now, later in life he is getting the chance! 

Texas Red is a fun take on life in the old west. 

Loosely based on the song, Big Iron by Marty Robbins 

and Don't take your guns to town by Johnny Cash. 

We filmed this on location at the Pioneer Museum in 

Parkland County. My daughter got to play a bad-guy ! 

One-way Ticket is a psychological thriller 

about a Vietnam veteran's dark secret that haunts him 

later in life. 

The film was my first time working with 16mm colour 

film. Unfortunately this film wasn't completed, but I 

am putting together a book with short stories from 

each person's perspective and the reason behind it. 

52 

Elyssa Poon made her film debut as 

the young Vietnamese girl haunting 

Michael, who was the troubled vet. 

left & below / Michael, true to form, 

played the young and old version of himself, 

as well as Gunnery Sergeant Wallace 

bolex 16mm camera | 

A 1960s era camera with a PLmount 

cinema lens was the workhorse 

for the film work. 

right | Frame captures of the film 

teenlook.ca

Israel Umbach is a historical short film 

commissioned by the town of Stony Plain. It depicts a 

historical figure and first Sheriff of Stony Plain, Israel 

Umbach and how he famously chained the CNR train 

to the tracks due to unpaid taxes. 

This project was also filmed on 

location at the Pioneer Museum. 

Michael was the producer, 

handling casting, props and 

research, and of course, as the 

star, Israel himself! 

We inserted a cameo of the Dr. 

Oatway, he was next in line for 

this series. Sadly, due to budget 

constraints, the city had to 

shelve the film projects. 

left / The ladies 

waiting for a train 

middle & above 

right / Sheriff 

Umbach presenting 

the tax bill to 

Mr. Sparkman 

right / Camera 

work in action 

photo | Nicole Goodwin 

james and his wife, sherwin 

What's next? Anything is 

possible. I am finishing up 

a book project. Presently, I 

have a couple screen plays 

I hope to finish this year... 

Along with that I am enjoying 

the creative process 

of putting together teen- 

Look and I sincerely hope 

you all are enjoying the 

publication as well. 

Thank you for your patience 

and understanding 

for some delays at times. 

I have a full-time job and 

my family keeps me pretty 

busy too. But, as I mentioned 

at the start of this 

article, I have a need to 

create, and will always find 

time to do what I love. 

James Goodwin 

53 

https://www.desirefilmstudios.ca/ 


ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

MACIE 

j o 

MASSACHUSETTS - USA 

14 YEAR-OLD MODEL IG - maciekupfer 

54 

Meet Macie Jo! Growing up, while most kids were 

learning to walk and run, Macie was busy flipping 

and flying all around the PRO gym. At three years 

old, she was already in the cheer gym as a tiny allstar 

on a cheerleading level 1 team. Ten years later, 

she’s travelled around the United States, competed 

in hundreds of competitions, won numerous 

national titles, and made incredible friendships. She 

is now part of a level 6 senior co-ed cheerleading 

worlds team for the second year in a row - all this 

at only 14 years old! Outside of the gym, Macie 

loves spending time with her family, skiing slope 

side, and has an intense passion for everything 

makeup related. While creating her own unique 

looks and tutorials, she has realized that being in 

front of the camera is where she belongs. In 2018, 

Macie was chosen to represent REBEL ATHLETICS 

as a campaign model. For a year, she helped spread 

the message to #Rebelagainstbullying, all while 

promoting and modelling unique athletic designs. 

This year she was asked to be a REBEL ICON for the 

2019/2020 season. Rebel icons are chosen to not 

only promote the brand but are a true inspiration to 

their fans. Macie was chosen because of her talent, 

heart and bold personality. The camera loves her, 

and she can’t get enough of it. Macie has developed 

a love for acting and is excited to see where this 

career could take her. Spreading her wings worldwide, 

sharing her creative REBEL style, Macie will 

continue to be a standout student, athlete and role 

model for all her teammates, classmates and fans! 

Macie hopes to become one of the teen actresses 

of her generation, so she can reach even more 

people, and continue to be an inspiration to those 

around her! 

photo | J. Route Photography 

hmua Kimmy Koski 

teenlook.ca

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hmua | Kimmy Koski 


56 

photo | J. hmua hmua | J. Route Photography 

Kimmy Koski 

teenlook.ca


57 


hmua | Kimmy Koski

ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

SOPHIA 

l i a 

Sophia is a monthly contributor to teenLook magazine. 

She shares her insight and advice. A teen writing for teens. 

Follow her on Instagram @ _sophia.lia 

58 

For some reason, 

we tend to have 

this overpowering 

thought that the 

New Year must 

equal new you, 

but why is that? 

Why do we have 

to take everything 

bad we do to 

the extreme by 

completely cutting 

it out instead of 

moderately trying 

to figure out the 

root of the problem 

and how we can 

eventually overcome 

it? 

Well, I challenge you this: instead of 

making up a list of “top 5 resolutions 

for the New Year”, why don’t you just 

learn to change the way you think about 

things… not entirely, but to get another 

perspective. Trust me, by doing this, all 

your resolutions will naturally overcome 

themselves. The best part? You probably 

won’t even realize it. 

I used to become really sick. So sick that I 

wouldn’t even get out of bed for the whole 

day. About eight years ago, I was ill with 

a horrible cough and nasal congestion. 

Eventually, the cough wore off, but I guess 

not in a very good way- still not feeling 

completely normal, I had a visit at the 

doctor’s office only to learn that I was an 

eight-year-old fighting pneumonia. Laying 

there in my parents’ bed right next to my 

dad, we received a call from my doctor. 

She informed him I was quite sick, and 

that I needed to be put on antibiotics 

right away. Eventually, the cough and 

nasal congestion progressed into even 

more. Somehow at that point, I felt so 

horrible and weak I had no energy and had 

these constant intense stomach pains. I 

don’t think my parents had gone one day 

without hearing these few words: “My 

belly hurts.” 

After the max prescription-allowed dose 

of medications I was served (plus missing 

over one month of school), I had for 

sure thought I would never see a serious 

cough/throat issue again. Well, as I’m 

pretty sure you’re anticipating, of course, 

some problems had to come back. For 

the following five winters, it would be a 

miracle (literally) to not receive some sort 

of health problem in the January/February 

season, whether it be bronchitis, strep 

throat, dry cough, etc. to name a few. 

When I became sick, I was really, really 

sick. Looking back, I, for sure, made myself 

more sick than I should’ve been. I allowed 

my fear, my stress, my anxiety, and worry 

to control my thoughts- telling myself 

everyday, day-to-day how sick I was. With 

all this negativity, I was feeding my mind, 

how could I ignore the horrid thoughts 

and be healthy? I couldn’t. I simply couldn’t 

because nothing or no one, not even 

family, can change your thoughts unless 

you choose to allow them to do so or you 

do it yourself. 

For this one, I really want to speak from

6 

6 

my heart, since this is a problem that 

genuinely affected me, and something that I 

sometimes still struggle with. I am not going 

to write you a bad article on “Your guide to 

happiness,” but instead, I can do this: share 

my experience and a few things I’ve learned 

along the way. Because believe me, I’ve 

been through it and understand the true 

struggle. It’s not easy, but I’ve learned how 

to fight it. Do you want to know my secret? 

You simply don’t fight. 

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what 

the heck I did to suddenly overcome this 

if repetitive sickness. I have 

trained myself day by day 

it doesn’t 

to become healthy through 

challenge my thoughts. Of course, 

you being healthy through your 

it won’t physical life is important, 

change but really, how healthy can 

you be if you talk sh*t to 

you 

yourself every day? 

Right now, you might just be feeling a little 

weird. You might think I am even a little 

crazy (which for the record, I am, well, 

just a little). But if you ignore the fact that 

practicing positivity feels a bit weird at first, 

you’re gonna find happiness. And even if 

that sounds cheesy or fake, I mean it. I really 

do. And I hope you stick around to hear 

what I’ve got to say because, at this point, 

this is by far my favourite article since it is 

truly one hundred percent written raw and 

real. I am currently in Mexico sitting on my 

balcony, it’s 12:28 AM, pitch 

black, but my thoughts just 

happen to be alive right 

now. 

a 

healthy 

mind 

in a 

healthy 

body 

OK, I admit I got a little 

sidetracked, but right 

now, I’m loving this. I can 

honestly say I’ve never 

experienced what I am experiencing right 

now... My mind is flying a million miles per 

minute, and my thoughts are just bursting 

out so fast, my fingers can hardly keep up. 

I am thinking the reason this feels so natural 

is because I am sharing my passion. Sharing 

it with you and hopefully doing what makes 

me most happy- helping others. This might 

not reach many people, but if I can help one 

person with their mental health (even in 

the smallest way), I feel like my purpose is 

complete. If this is you, I’d love to hear from 

you. And I sincerely hope you share your 

story too. 

My point is, changing the way we look 

at things can seem like a task for later. 

Sometimes, I put the needs for myself at 

the bottom of my priority list, which I am 

pretty sure you do too. When I started 

spending more time focusing on what I am 

feeding my mind with, I was blown away 

with my constant need to come up with 

negative thoughts about myself. Sometimes 

about my health, and other times about my 

appearance, or even my weaknesses. 

I asked why. Why do we have a repetitive 

need to think negative thoughts in our 

minds (or sometimes even under our 

breath)? It made me so angry that I didn’t 

understand why we unconsciously have 

these thoughts until I realized that the 

reason it doesn’t make any sense is simply 

because it’s not supposed to. 

BAM! One year of continually reminding 

myself that “I am healthy and strong” 

stopped me from becoming sick. You might 

be thinking it’s a bit of an exaggeration, and 

sure, I had a little cold here and there, but 

never again did I became anywhere near as 

ill as I used to be. Not once since I changed 

the way I look at things and the way I talk to 

myself. 

If I may, allow me to challenge you to start 

the next 365 days with a self-motivation and 

positive sentence. For me, I was struggling 

with my health, so I would repeat a sentence 

often (especially in the morning and before 

bed) with the fact, NOT the wish that I was 

healthy and strong. Depending on what 

you struggle most with, you can change 

what phrase you repeat to yourself. For 

instance, if you struggle will self-esteem 

and confidence, you might consider saying 

something like, “I am beautiful inside and 

out.” 

Yeah, I know it’s gonna feel weird, and I get 

that. It’s not normal for most people to look 

in the mirror and say, “Hey, you, you are so 

beautiful, healthy, loved, and safe.” But I 

swear and really mean it when I say that it 

4 

59

elieve 

60 

4 

will just become natural and 

part of your routine. 

Self-talk can make your life 

beautiful or an absolute 

disaster. The choice is yours 

really, because it can go 

either way. Spend 

your life not even 

noticing that you’re 

calling yourself 

“ugly” and “stupid,” 

well, it might just 

come true. Try to 

flip that around, 

condition yourself, 

and learn to be happy. Learn 

to love yourself. Because 

no one, seriously, no one 

can make you happy, except 

yourself. 

Self-talk changed my life, 

and I would love it if you’d 

allow me to show you in 

what way and how I learned 

to do it. Like you read above, 

I would become very sick 

when I was younger. I never 

really realized why, until I 

heard about this thing called 

“Self-Talk” and thought 

hmm, could that be my 

problem? Well, turns out 

it was. Changing the way I 

spoke to myself led me to 

become an optimist and an 

overall happier, and healthier 

person. Here’s how you can 

do it as well. 

i’m 

ready 

for a new 

chapter 

in my 

life 

• 1 Spend some time 

figuring out what 

thoughts are constantly 

popping up in your mindare 

they negative? Are 

you unconsciously 

constantly calling 

yourself ugly, fat or 

even stupid? Maybe 

you are blessed 

and an optimistic, 

being pretty positive 

towards yourself. 

Whatever your 

situation, it’s really 

important to figure out 

what those thoughts 

happen to be most 

often, so you can flip the 

negative ones. 

• 2 After you figure out 

what it is that you are 

putting yourself down 

about, you need to 

make up a specific 

sentence you 

say every time 

the negative 

thought 

pops up. For 

instance, if 

you noticed 

you were 

constantly putting 

yourself down about 

your appearance, you 

should consider saying 

something like “I am 

healthy, strong and 

beautiful”. It doesn’t have 

to be exactly that, but I 

think you see my point- 

It’s whatever works for 

you. 

what 

you 

think 

you 

become 

Every time you notice those 

negative thoughts coming in, 

you need to try your best to 

stop them immediately and 

say your positive affirmation 

under your breath a few 

times. It’s even better if you 

do it in the mirror and out 

loud! 

Keep in mind your sentence 

must be positive. Even 

though saying “I am not 

getting sick” when you 

feel you’re catching a cold 

sounds positive, in reality, it’s 

the opposite. The only thing 

your brain hears is “sick”. Your 

mind likes to skip over the 

“not” part of your sentence. 

So to conclude this, saying 

“I am healthy and strong” 

is the best option during 

self-talk, as your mind will 

listen to “healthy and strong”. 

Whatever you feed your 

mind will soon be the 

truth. Even though it’s 

obvious you’re sick, 

you don’t want to 

accept it, be in denial 

and fool yourself, 

because your mind 

will eventually follow 

along. Please keep 

in mind that being in denial 

of your sickness is only 

okay to a certain point. It’s 

acceptable when you are 

catching the common cold, 

but if for instance you have 

a serious illness, you need 

to accept that you need 

medical assistance and keep 

a positive state of mind. 

change

• 3 Be consistent- every time you 

have a negative thought, stop it 

immediately and reaffirm yourself 

with your positive sentence. 

Inconsistently sending good 

vibes to your mind won’t be very 

effective. On the other hand, 

if you are constantly catching 

yourself, it will become a natural 

routine until your negative selftalk 

slows down sufficiently or 

stops altogether. Don’t beat 

yourself up for having the 

thoughts in your head, because 

it’s normal. Just stop it right away, 

repeat your affirmation and never 

say your negative self-talk out 

loud. 

• 4 Make it a habit of starting 

and ending your day with your 

positive thoughts. If reminding 

yourself how “healthy and 

strong” you are daily from the 

start of the day to your last 

thought at night, let me tell you 

that you happen to be well on 

your way to a successful reality of 

whichever thoughts you feed 

yourself. 

• 5 Finally, it’s important to 

remember that self-talk can 

be your best friend or worst 

enemy- and I mean it. If you take 

everything I told you and reverse 

it, truth is your life probably won’t 

be spectacular. Try to start the 

decade with positive thoughts, 

and try this out, because even 

though it can be weird at first, 

you’ll thank me when you feel so 

much better. 

Have a story like mine? Well, I would 

love you hear from you! Share it with 

others for motivation and inspiration. 

It’s not easy to do so, but hey, I just 

did and it’s not so bad. 

Happy 2020! 

Love, 

Sophia Lia 

61 

postitive 

mind 

positive 

vibes 

positive 

life 

positivity 

photo | Crystal Tsang 

hmua | Denee Noel Artistry 


ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

SCARLETT 

b r i n i n g 

NASHVILLE, TN - USA 

12 YEAR-OLD MODEL IG - scarlett_brining 

62 

Scarlett is an agency represented 

model and actor. She recently 

became a brand model for Deanie 

Couture. 

In her first 6 months of modeling, 

Scarlett has been published in 5 

magazines. She has a goal of walking 

in New York Fashion Week. 

photo | Miss Tullie 

hmua | laineyedwardsmusic 

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hmua | laineyedwardsmusic

ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

LUNA 

l i m 

SINGAPORE 

12 YEAR-OLD MODEL IG - lunayeonwonlim 

66 

Luna is a enthusiastic 12 year old 

soon turning a teen. She is a model, 

gymnast, contortionist, dancer and 

more. She loves to pose in front of 

people and go to casting calls. Even 

if she isn’t chosen, she always tries 

again or tries something new. Nothing 

can stop Luna! 

She dreams of being a actress, gym 

coach in the future and looks forward 

to future opportunities. 

photo | Emily Richard 

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photo | Emily Richard

ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

ALBERTO 

v e g a 

FASHION 

70 

Originally from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 

Alberto Vega is a young but highly skilled 

fashion designer who is bridging the 

upscale fashion world of Mexico and Canada. The 

skills learned from his grandmother and mother in 

Mexico inspired his love for design. 

High quality 

tailoring coupled 

with clean 

design is a foundation 

of his 

studio, Alberto- 

VegaDesigns. 

Functional, yet 

inventive detailing 

helps his designs 

stand out. 

Meeting one-onone 

with each 

client, seeking 

to understand 

their desires 

for each special 

event, and then 

designing and 

fitting each person with a uniquely beautiful garment, 

is Alberto’s joy and skill. 

Though Alberto worked successfully in Mexico 

designing both men’s and women’s wardrobe 

items, he sought to learn about the fashion scene 

in Canada and so completed the Fashion Design 

program at MC College in Edmonton in 2017/2018. 

After showing his year end collection, Alberto 

interned with Malorie Urbanovitch of Montreal, 

assisting in the production of prototypes for Ms. 

Urbanovitch’s fashion line shown at Simons. He 

also coordinated the showing of her collection at 

Park Lux Fashion Show in Calgary. 

Alberto participated in the Emerging Designer 

Competition at Western Canada Fashion Week 

with a contemporary eye turning jacket and pant 

set, worn by model Lauren Ong and won the opportunity 

to show a complete collection this past 

fall during fashion week. He added to his spring/ 

summer looks and showed an updated collection 

at Blakbar Tavern in November. His paper gown 

was also a prize winner at the Edmonton Festival 

of Trees competition this past Christmas. Alberto’s 

image and men’s suits are presently being introduced 

in Canada, the U.S. and Europe in a collaboration 

with BoutStix floral magnets for corsages 

and boutonnieres. 

As a result of these shows, Alberto’s fashions are 

now being photographed for the portfolios of 

several young Alberta models who requested use 

of his unique garments. 

Alberto now makes Edmonton his home while 

traveling to Mexico 

frequently for family 

visits and fabric 

shopping excursions. 

Recent travels to 

London, Paris and 

Barcelona have given 

him insight to the 

availability of quality 

fabrics for designs. 

He is seeking to find 

unique and high quality 

fabrics that he can 

use in designing and 

producing high end 

garments for discerning 

customers from 

teens to adults. 

model | Alena Paige Bradka 

photo | Mackenzie Lockard 

hmua | Beauty by Zenna


IG | AlbertoVegaDesign 

http://albertovegadesigns.com/ 

Alberto’s first Canadian 

collection in 2018 was a 

spring/summer vision of 

beauty, luxury and comfort. 

This collection titled 

Floreciente (Blooming) 

brought a fresh look to 

designs for younger adult 

clientele. The collection 

moves from the hint of 

spring to full bloom of 

summer, from refined 

casual, men’s Aster jeans 

with subtle golden flecks, 

to elegant blooms in the 

photo | Mackenzie Lockard 

hmua | Beauty by Zenna final piece of the collection 

for women, Rosa de 

Sharon. Classic elegance describes his 

collection, clothing that is beautiful to 

the eye, exciting to touch, and elegant 

to wear. This is not a casual, ready to 

wear collection, it is not a collection 

found in every store and in every city, it 

is clothing for those who deeply appreciate 

quality tailoring, inventive design, 

a fit that simply fits, and a feel of a 

garment that complements the beauty 

deep inside those who walk in these 

clothes. 

Alberto’s current Fall/Winter collection 

of AlbertoVegaDesigns is titled Exploración 

(Exporation) and is a collection 

that again searches out elegance, 

with flowing fabrics brought from Paris, 

to the nostalgic yet forward looks of 

classics like suits and to furry faux 

designs that wrap the wearer in winter 

looks that 

cannot be purchased 

off the 

rack. These fully 

lined looks are 

completed with 

the care Alberto 

gives each garment 

he personally 

designs and 

sews. 

2020 will be a 

year of refinement 

for Alberto. 

He will begin 

the year in Mexico 

creating another 

wedding photo | Mackenzie Lockard 


hmua | Beauty by Zenna 

dress and men’s 

wedding suit to 

add to his portfolio and also continue 

his study of art with a well-known local 

painter/sculptor. Alberto will also begin 

to place a limited number of items with 

local shops to increase name recognition 

while continuing to take commissions 

for one-of-a-kind designs. 

71 

model | Casey Miller 

hmua | Mikaela_pickford_mua 




ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

featured teen 

ABIGAIL 

b i r n 

RED DEER, AB - CANADA 

16 YEAR-OLD MODEL IG - abbey_birn 

72 

In the spring of 2018, I started doing 

modeling photo shoots with various 

talented photographers in the Central 

Alberta area and one of them asked if 

I had ever considered entering beauty 

pageants. At this time beauty pageants 

was not on my list of interests or a 

goal of mine and I really knew nothing 

about them. I have been a dancer since 

I was 2 years old and love to perform 

and challenge myself on stage so I 

was not new to presenting in front of 

an audience. In September 2018, an 

opportunity to participate in a local 

pageant in Airdrie peaked my interest 

so I entered having no experience at all. 

The other competitors were fantastic 

and all helped me a long the way and 

were so supportive. The experience 

was enjoyable and I loved the feeling of 

encouragement and confidence created 

among the girls I met. Following this 

experience my next pageant challenge 

was the Miss Teen Calgary pageant in 

May, 2019. Still very new to the world 

of pageantry I entered not expecting 

anything except another wonderful 

experience, a chance to get dressed up, 

share my passions with others and to 

challenge myself while meeting more 

wonderful women. 

photo | Jennifer George Photography 

hmua | Abigail Birn 

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ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

Miss Jr. Teen Northern Alberta 

2019 

74 

Not only did I accomplish all of 

this, but I was also awarded the 

title and crown for Miss Jr. Teen 

Northern Alberta 2019. My very 

first regional provincial title. With 

my new title I attended several 

events for fundraising and public 

awareness for societal issues 

and causes in Alberta. I’ve 

shared my experiences with 

many young children 

encouraging them to 

dream big and have 

the confidence to 

make their dreams 

a reality no matter 

how ambitious 

they may be. I 

enjoy being a 

role model for 

teens to believe 

that beauty 

comes from 

within and the 

confidence you portray 

not just physical 

appearance. In August, 

2019 my pageantry 

goals lead me to Toronto, 

Ontario as a finalist for the 

Miss Canada Globe pageant. 

During these 10 days of 

preparation and competitions 

I learned a great deal about 

myself and the other delegates 

with regards to their pageantry 

journey and goals in life. We 

were given opportunities to tour 

the great city of Toronto, participate 

in fashion show presentations 

wearing gorgeous gowns from 

designer Kim Hazen Mahistrado 

of Mahistrado Fashions, compete 

in swimsuit and evening gown 

competitions, as well as interview 

question segments, national costume 

competition, talent competition 

and participating in fundraising 

gala events. Along the way, I was 

awarded with a second place in 

the National costume category 

and third in the talent competition. 

During the regional competition I 

was awarded the crown and title 

of Miss Teen Prairies Region and 

was so proud to be representing 

Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan 

and British Columbia. The whole 

pageant was full of new and exciting 

experiences and I was simply 

feeling blessed to be a part of such 

and incredible journey. On the final 

night of the national pageant competition, 

I was announced as one of 

the top 5 finalists and was awarded 

with the People’s Choice Award for 

the most community voters online. 

After a final swimsuit competition, 

evening gown competition and 

interview question segment the 

moment came when I was crowned 

Miss Teen Canadian International 

2019/2020. I was in complete 

shock that I was able to accomplish 

such an incredible achievement 

with no experience and simply 

Miss Teen Canadian International 

2019 /2020 


hmua | Abigail Birn

y being myself, confident, genuine, 

courageous and kind. My next 

adventure takes me to Manila in the 

Philippines this December 2019, to 

represent Canada in the Miss Teen 

International pageant. An honour I 

would have never expected a mere 

year ago. Through my volunteering, 

fundraising and public appearances 

within my community, I am always 

encouraging young children and adolescents 

like myself to be confident 

with who they are, find their unique 

qualities and strengths and never 

compare themselves to others because 

in the end, genuine confidence 

and support from loving friends and 

family is what creates success when 

following our goals and dreams. 

Abigail Birn 

75 




ja n ua ry 

t e e n 

l o o k 

HARRISON 

h i g g i n s 

MULLUMBIMBY, AUSTRALIA 

14 YEAR-OLD MODEL-GYMNAST-ACTOR 

IG - harrisonhiggins_ 

76 

Harrison Higgins is a 14 year-old model 

who lives on the Gold Coast in 

Queensland Australia. 

I am a level 8 MAG Gymnast training 

21 hours per week for over 11 years 

competing at a State and National 

level in Australia. I have always had a 

dream to become a successful model 

and actor but only had the courage to 

start pursuing my dream in July 2019 

once my braces came off my teeth. I 

am currently focusing on growing my 

image portfolio and social media profile. 

I have not had any modelling jobs 

but have had small magazine features. 

I am currently searching for Modelling 

Agency representation and hope to 

get a big break and be discovered. My 

dream is to make a professional international 

career from Modelling and 

Acting. 

photo | Marcus Walters 

hmua | Melinda Walters 

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hmua | Melinda Walters

t 

E 

E n 

l 

o o 

k 


final thoughts: 

Don't forget to order your Gold Foil cards! 

These are only available to the models and 

photographers featured in teenLook.. 

The first batch have come in and they turned out 

much better than I could have hoped for. 

80 

Available worldwide. $6 for each 4x6 inch card. 

Local pick up is free. Shipping extra elsewhere. 

Send your requests to - info@teenlook.ca

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