{"id":16960,"date":"2022-02-17T04:00:52","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T09:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/?post_type=cpt_portfolio&p=16960"},"modified":"2026-04-21T18:41:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T22:41:26","slug":"jennifer-monteith","status":"publish","type":"cpt_portfolio","link":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/fr\/profiles\/jennifer-monteith\/","title":{"rendered":"Jennifer Monteith"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t

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Highlights<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Jennifer Monteith made history in the 1970s as one of Canada's first Black catalogue models, breaking into an industry with narrow beauty standards.<\/li>\r\n \t
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she immigrated to Toronto at age twelve and discovered her fashion passion through her mother, a talented dressmaker.<\/li>\r\n \t
Monteith founded Different Faces Model and Talent Agency, Toronto's first multicultural agency, with the tagline \"For the world of different faces, male and female.\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/span><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Jennifer Monteith steps out from a bustling meeting into a quiet hallway, taking a seat and propping her laptop on her knees. Her platform boots, reminiscent of the bell<\/span>–<\/span>bottoms and platforms from her audition days, <\/span>s<\/span>erve not only as a fashion statement but also as a playful nod to her past. \u201cThey had no idea how tall or short I really was,\u201d she <\/span>laughs<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>
In the 1960s, when the fashion industry predominantly favo<\/span>u<\/span>red a narrow, Eurocentric standard of beauty, Monteith\u2019s mission was to carve out space for herself and others like her. She made history as one of the first Black models in the Canadian catalog<\/span>ue<\/span> industry, and later, by founding Different Faces Model and Talent Agency, Toronto\u2019s first multicultural agency. Her tagline? \u201cFor the world of different faces, male and female.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Jennifer Monteith, 1960s<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Jennifer Monteith wears Lorraine Delsol, 1976, Contrast Junior Achievements Awards<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Early Life and Career<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Monteith is the second eldest of six children, three sisters and two brothers. She immigrated to Toronto at age 12 in 1964 and has called the city home ever since. Her love for fashion started at home, <\/span>where<\/span> Jennifer\u2019s mother <\/span>worked as<\/span> a talented designer and dressmaker, <\/span>sparking<\/span> her daughter’s creative flame <\/span>at<\/span> an early age<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>
At Heydon Park Vocational (All Girls) School<\/span>,<\/span> Monteith<\/span> excelled, not just as a budding fashionista but also as a gymnast, <\/span>which was one of her first passions<\/span>. Crowned <\/span>the<\/span> school queen for two consecutive years, her grace and charm were undeniable. Encouraged by her gym teacher, <\/span>Monteith<\/span> enrolled in Patricia Stevens Finishing School, setting the stage for a decades-long career in fashion.<\/span><\/p>
Monteith\u2019s<\/span> rise was guided by mentors who recognized her potential. One such mentor was Ettie Dawkins, an <\/span>established and well-known<\/span> model in Toronto, who booked <\/span>Monteith<\/span> for her first model<\/span>l<\/span>ing job. \u201cE<\/span>t<\/span>ti<\/span>e<\/span> suggested that I register with Producer’s Services, a talent and mode<\/span>l<\/span>ling agency run by Molly Petti, mother of <\/span>TV<\/span> host Dini Petti,\u201d she explains.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>
\u201cWhen <\/span>[Ettie]<\/span> was double<\/span>–<\/span>booked<\/span>,<\/span> she would call me to step in for her, especially for catalogue shoots. Thus<\/span>,<\/span> my jaunt to Bermuda for my first on<\/span>–<\/span>location shoot,\u201d says Monteith. At just 17, she flew to Bermuda for her first catalog<\/span>ue<\/span> shoot with JCPenney, an experience that gave her a first taste of international opportunity.<\/span><\/p>
Another key figure <\/span>in Monteith\u2019s career<\/span> was Olivia Grange, a journalist and cultural advocate<\/span>,<\/span> now Jamaica\u2019s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, who introduced <\/span>Monteith<\/span> to major opportunities, including being a finalist for Miss Chin Picnic, Miss Jamaica-Canadian Association\u2019s <\/span>first<\/span> r<\/span>unner-<\/span>u<\/span>p (1969) and appearing on the cover of Ken Boothe\u2019s <\/span>Reggae for Lovers<\/span><\/em> album.<\/span><\/p>
Longtime friend Linda V. Carter<\/a>, who has known <\/span>Monteith<\/span> for nearly five decades, recalls those early days<\/span>.<\/span> \u201cShe was younger and smaller, so they used her for junior mode<\/span>l<\/span>ling. They called her \u2018<\/span>j<\/span>umping <\/span>j<\/span>unior Jennifer<\/span>.<\/span>\u2019 <\/span>S<\/span>he was always in catalogues and things like that.\u201d <\/span>Monteith<\/span> appeared <\/span>in catalogues for<\/span> Sears, Eaton\u2019s <\/span>and<\/span> Kings Patterns, <\/span>as well as in advertisements on the front and back of national<\/span> TV Guides.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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When Monteith entered the fashion world <\/span>as a model<\/span>, she wasn\u2019t thinking about race<\/span>;<\/span> she was thinking about possibility. \u201cI didn\u2019t go in feeling Black,\u201d she says. \u201cI went in knowing it was time for more colour in the palette\u2026 I was chosen to be there. I was sure of myself<\/span>,<\/span> more than most.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Jennifer Monteith<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201c<\/span>Back in the day<\/span>, <\/span>I did my own hair and my own makeup, even brought my own basic shoes,\u201d <\/span>Monteith recalls.<\/span><\/p>
Over her mode<\/span>l<\/span>ling career, Monteith found representation with three agencies: first with Molly Petti Producer\u2019s Agency, followed by Judy Welch’s agency and later briefly with Int<\/span>ernational Top Models at Yonge and Gloucester Street.<\/span><\/p>
Monteith also made time to continue her education. In 1983-84<\/span>,<\/span> she<\/span> attended Loyalist College in Belleville<\/span>, Ontario, where she<\/span> studied <\/span>in an a<\/span>ccelerated Business Administration program which included <\/span>b<\/span>usiness <\/span>l<\/span>aw, <\/span>a<\/span>ccounting, <\/span>m<\/span>arketing <\/span>and<\/span> e<\/span>conomics.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Toronto Sun, Thursday August 9, 1979<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When Monteith entered the fashion world <\/span>as a model<\/span>, she wasn\u2019t thinking about race<\/span>;<\/span> she was thinking about possibility. \u201cI didn\u2019t go in feeling Black,\u201d she says. \u201cI went in knowing it was time for more colour in the palette\u2026 I was chosen to be there. I was sure of myself<\/span>,<\/span> more than most.\u201d<\/span><\/p>
Her confidence was unshakable. \u201cYes, I\u2019m Black, but I am Jennifer Monteith. I\u2019m not just a Black model who had a heart transplant. I am Jennifer Monteith.\u201d That <\/span>self-assuredness<\/span> wasn\u2019t just a performance<\/span>; it<\/span> became her armo<\/span>u<\/span>r in an industry often intent on fitting people into boxes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>
In 1976, she founded Different Faces Model and Talent Agency in response to the clear need for multicultural representation in fashion. \u201cThe demand for multicultural models became very apparent,\u201d she explains. Drawing from her own experiences as one of Toronto\u2019s <\/span>first<\/span> Black models, <\/span>Monteith<\/span> mentored young women in her community, training them for careers in showroom, runway and catalog<\/span>ue<\/span> model<\/span>l<\/span>ing.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Far right, Jennifer Monteith, Bride & Groom Magazine cruise wear, 1976<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Influence and Legacy<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Monteith\u2019s <\/span>impact<\/span> extends beyond fashion. She is the founder of the JM Exhibitor Support Centre, a service hub for Toronto\u2019s trade shows and conventions. The center offers last-minute office supplies, equipment and even scooter rentals. <\/span>It is<\/span> aptly dubbed \u201c<\/span>T<\/span>he office away from the office.\u201d Her work has earned her respect from celebrities, event organizers and even royalty.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>
Despite all her career success,<\/span> it\u2019s <\/span>Monteith\u2019s<\/span> personal journey that makes her truly extraordinary. In 2010, <\/span>she<\/span> underwent a life-saving heart transplant after spending 20 months living with a Left Ventricular Assist Device. Since then, she has become a vocal advocate for organ donation, volunteering with the Trillium Gift of Life Network and sharing her experience to inspire others.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 1976, she founded Different Faces Model and Talent Agency in response to the clear need for multicultural representation in fashion. \u201cThe demand for multicultural models became very apparent,\u201d she explains. <\/span><\/p>
Drawing from her own experiences as one of Toronto\u2019s <\/span>first<\/span> Black models, <\/span>Monteith<\/span> mentored young women in her community, training them for careers in showroom, runway and catalog<\/span>ue<\/span> model<\/span>l<\/span>ing.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Now, at 72 years old and 14 years post-transplant, <\/span>Monteith\u2019s<\/span> determination remains undiminished. \u201cKnowing who you are and enhancing what you\u2019ve got, that\u2019s what you bring forward<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d <\/span>she says.<\/span><\/p>
In 2022, her achievements were officially recognized when she was named one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women (100ABC)<\/span>. A<\/span> fitting tribute to a woman who continues to shape her legacy, one bold step at a time.<\/span><\/p>
Monteith\u2019s<\/span> friend<\/span>,<\/span> Carter<\/span>,<\/span> captures <\/span>her legacy<\/span> best: \u201cEnduring,\u201d <\/span>she says<\/span>, when asked to describe Monteith. \u201cYou think of what she\u2019s gone through in life, and it\u2019s just remarkable. No matter what is handed to her, she just finds a way of making lemons into lemonade.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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0<\/span>Comments<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Share your thoughts:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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