Canadian Model Winnie Harlow Stars in Fausto Puglisi’s F/W 2018 Lookbook

Date February 22, 2018

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A post shared by Fausto Puglisi (@faustopuglisi) on Feb 22, 2018 at 7:17am PST

Winnie Harlow, the Canadian model who stole our hearts in 2015 after her joyful campaign for Diesel, is slaying fashion month. So far she’s walked in the Marc Jacobs show at New York Fashion Week, the Matty Bovan show in London, and now, she’s starring in Fausto Puglisi’s newly-released lookbook for his F/W 2018 collection, which dropped in conjunction with the Italian designer’s presentation at Milan Fashion Week.

The collection features strong-shouldered silhouettes with Greco-Roman flourishes, belts made from agate crystals, and badass boots embellished with gold suns that channel the ostentatious heyday of ‘80s Versace.

Harlow, a Toronto native, grew up wanting to work in journalism or entertainment, but was empowered to model after personality Shannon Boodram found her Facebook page and called her “strikingly beautiful.” Since then, Harlow became determined to make it as a model and refused to let anything come in her way, not least the fact that she has vitiligo, a rare autoimmune disease that causes splotches of skin discolouration on the body.

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A post shared by Fausto Puglisi (@faustopuglisi) on Feb 22, 2018 at 8:05am PST

Harlow first materialized in the public eye as the first and only Canadian to compete on America’s Next Top Model, after being handpicked by Tyra Banks to appear on the show. Shortly after her subsequent elimination, Harlow walked in Ashish’s S/S 2015 show at London Fashion Week and was tapped to star in an ad campaigns for the Spanish label Desigual, and her career has grown exponentially since.

In 2014, Harlow told the Globe and Mail that as a youth she was bullied for her vitiligo, called nicknames like “cow” and “zebra,” but the traits that caused her to be targeted as a youth are what make her irreplaceable in the fashion industry. Harlow’s distinctive, symmetrical skin patterns complete, rather than diminish her unique beauty.

Here at FASHION, we’re delighted to see homegrown Canadian talent make a splash on the international stage. Bravo, Harlow!

Click through to view select images from the lookbook.