PERSONALITY PROFILE
By Yasmin Tabi
Shelli Oh’s line of clothing reflects her personality—a
fusion of spirituality and fashion. Oh, 27, is a Canadian
clothing designer with a background in fashion design and
production management. Her clothing line, Harebell, was
born on Dec. 24, 1997, in Toronto. Her fashion concept
stems from her love for faery lore and ancient mysticism, and
her “passion for the connection between the natural world
and the magical realm."
Oh explains, “Inspirations come from traditional faery lore
and memories of ancient times; that’s where the feminine
spirit and mysticism of the designs are born. I wish to give
glimpses of this magic, and in turn share the energy and joy I
experience through it.” This ethereal take on clothing has
made a favorable impression on the fashion world. Harebell
has been received warmly at trade shows in New York as well
as in boutiques across Canada and all over the world.
She uses pastel and earth tones that blend together in
her pieces, which range from sleeveless tie tops to long skirts.
“I like to emphasize texture and delicate details or trimmings
to create a balance between sheer rawness and delicacy to
evoke an ethereal quality.” Oh said she strives to establish i
strong sense of femininity with the Harebell line.
Oh runs her business the same way she
clothes—reminiscent of her spirituality—bi
it’s a business. Her retail clients receive a
the theme of the season, a marketing marie!
part of the “faery gift campaign.”
Unlike many designers, Oh didn t get a big break in the
industry. She began as a pattern drafter, then turned to sam
ple sewing, technical design, production assistant, marker
maker and grader. Now that she’s creating her own designs,
she puts in 12- to 18-hour days, shifts broken by her other
interests such as yoga, writing and climbing.
Oh’s plans for Harebell are ambitious: she’d like to expand
into Japan and Europe iising the Internet as her international
launching pad. “The Internet is like a passport around the
world! It’s made international exposure for our company as
simple as pushing 31
(harebeil.com)
School: Ryerson Pol
program for fashion
Shelli never had: Bari
Celebrities Oh would
Clare Danes, Katie
Gwyneth Paltrow
itii
ton, through our web site.’’
K „
Universi