Beauty and Fashion Charity Gala

August 30, 2011

Text by Sarah Dion-Marquis.

Photos by Dmitri Moisseev.

Ariana Assadi is bringing a modern splash to the Ottawa beauty scene.

There is no doubt the self-taught makeup artist is ambitious: “I want to travel all around the world to do fashion shows in Europe: this is my goal in the next year,” she said.

Ariana Assadi (second left) with models.

Assadi launched her website this Friday at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. For her, it was a big step career-wise. But the big night, titled Beauty and Fashion Charity Gala, was not all about her, as she stepped aside to let breast cancer research be the focus of the glamorous evening.

“It’s very close to my heart. I did lose one of my friends last year. She was only 23-years-old,” she said, as the 200 guests were getting ready to take their seats, while mingling and sampling tapas before the fashion show.

It was a great occasion to reunite the Ottawa’s fashion scene, bringing together about a hundred models, designers, hair stylists and make-up artists, as well as fashion lovers in the city.

“I like art, fashion and make-up. [So] I decided: let’s bring all these elements together. That was my main goal,” said Assadi.

The eccentric make-up was definitively the highlight of the show, which also featured designers such as Sukhoo Sukhoo, Kania, Anomal, Elle Couture and jewelry maker FrAsh.

Frank Sukhoo (centre) of Sukhoo Sukhoo with models.

It started with be four bridal make-up looks. Three intense high fashion looks followed. They were very multi-cultural and ranged from Arabic and Indian to Western and vintage styles. Models were of very diverse ethnic backgrounds too, which made the show really stand out for its cosmopolitan touch.

“What makes me different from the other make-up artists is that I want everything that I do to be out of the world, to be something that people have never seen,” said Assadi.

Her dedication to art and her hard work organizing the event paid off: the launch of Assadi’s website was successful.

Musical entertainment at the gala.

More important than her professional success is the impact that this Friday night event had on a greater cause: finding a cure for breast cancer.

Miss Ottawa (left) was one of the guests at the gala.

An auction took place after the fashion show. Among the items were a dozen wine bottles, some designer T-shirts and a basket filled with hair products donated by Miss Universe Canada’s Best Hair Award winner Betsy Leimbigler.

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