Esthetician prepares for New York Fashion Week

Odette Wills wasn’t allowed to wear makeup as a teenager.

Now, the 26-year-old Iqaluit esthetician is preparing to work as a makeup artist backstage at New York Fashion Week, from Feb. 12 to 14.

“I still think I have a long way to go,” Wills said during an interview in her new home-based Authentic Glow Studio which opened in May, the product of a New Year’s resolution.

Wills travelled to New York City for a week in September, where she completed a course at Aimakeup Beauty Academy in Westside Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood and befriended Instagram influencer Ipek.

“Odette is very talented,” said Aiyma, the school’s founder who goes by one name, in a phone interview Tuesday.

New York Fashion Week, held in February and September every year, features fashion industry shows throughout Manhattan and marks the debut of many international labels.

In the fall, Aiyma’s students (not including Wills) provided makeup for models working with brand labels such as Geo in Style, F&W and Amari Carter, among others. In December, Wills will learn what brands she will be working with, Aiyma said.

After the course ended, Wills returned north with buoyed confidence, a suitcase packed with new supplies and a plan for expanding her business.

She has added exfoliating, cleansing, and non-medical facial massage to her studio’s services.

As her wait list grows, she said, so will she. She’s planning to take a manicure certification course next.