When fashion and art collide

Emerging women’s wear fashion designer Karissa Besharah mixes fashion and art by creating an interesting take on what is referred to as wearable clothing. For Karissa, inspiration can come from the smallest of places.

Her avant-garde haute couture art piece, named Flourishing Uncaged, was inspired by a pair of shoes. Flourishing Uncaged comes from allowing oneself to creatively grow and freely express trueness without limitations. This piece took eight months to develop from concept to form with close to 300 silk flowers uniquely beaded, positioned and hand sewn onto silk-encased steel-hoop boning.

Born and raised in Ottawa, Karissa studied haute couture at the world-renowned Richard Robinson Academy of Fashion Design, going on to win numerous awards including Couturier of the Year for her Boundless SS ’17 Collection. Haute couture has allowed her to focus on creating garments of the highest quality and reaching beyond traditional styles to create artistic apparel.

Since graduating, Karissa has continued to collaborate with many different talented artists in Ottawa. Most recently she organized a team of Ottawa’s top professionals for a creative shoot that spotlighted her Flourishing Uncaged design. The quirky set and eccentric elements were to convey having a garden tea party with the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland.

With this elite team of creatives, the whimsical concept was executed beautifully on all levels. The future for this budding designer includes staying local and continuing to help build Ottawa as a leading fashion capital.

The Players
Photographer Richard Tardif rtardifphoto@me.com
Model Kasandra Sakovic kassakovic@gmail.com
Hair Stylist Chantal Gravelle chantalgravelle@hotmail.com
Creative Assistant Courteney Strauss courteneystrauss@gmail.com
Makeup Artist Evgeniya Selifanova splashofartistry@gmail.com
Desserts Strauss Cuisine straussgirl@bell.net
Rentals Dana Cullen-Dubois info@luxeventrental.ca
Designer Karissa Besharah presenceprevail@gmail.com