{"id":6067,"date":"2022-02-27T01:26:46","date_gmt":"2022-02-27T06:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/?post_type=cpt_portfolio&p=6067"},"modified":"2026-02-18T14:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T19:06:15","slug":"lorna-wilson","status":"publish","type":"cpt_portfolio","link":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/fr\/profiles\/lorna-wilson\/","title":{"rendered":"Lorna Wilson"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Lorna Wilson had no plans to join the fashion industry, describing herself as a tomboy through and through, never into feminine or girly things. Her family compared her to her older sister, telling her she wasn\u2019t as beautiful. So this tomboy never imagined she\u2019d be strutting the catwalk or modelling for world-renowned brands, until one seemingly ordinary day, while walking down Vancouver\u2019s Granville Street, her life changed forever.<\/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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Early Life and Career<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Born in Westmoreland, Jamaica, Wilson was the middle child of five. They were raised by their mother, Ceceile\u00a0Whitter, a nurse, and their father, Lester Morgan, who first worked for the post office in the UK and Canada, then in telecommunications in the U.S.<\/p>

The family moved around a lot when she was a child. From Jamaica, they emigrated to London in the \u201850s, living in Tooting; in 1967 they moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba.<\/p>

They sailed on the Alexander Pushkin, where Wilson celebrated her 13th birthday, entering Canada via Montreal. After spending an exciting week at Expo 67, they travelled by train to Winnipeg. When she started high school there were only four other Black students, one of them being her sister. She recalls how students told her she talked funny because of her English accent, and her response always, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t, you do!\u201d laughs Wilson.<\/p>

She felt awkward, describing herself as an outsider.\u201cWe stayed for a few years, but because my parents found the extreme winters unbearable, we moved to New York,\u201d she explains. Wilson, however, wanted to go back to Canada and in 1974, at 19, she moved to Vancouver.<\/p>

On that now life-changing stroll on Granville Street, a California agent stopped her and gave her his card, suggesting she lose some weight and go to New York. At first she was shocked and uncertain, but decided to take a modelling course at the Patricia Stevens Model and Talent Agency to see if she’d like it. She laughs, remembering how silly she felt when they were taught to walk a catwalk. \u201cWe learned to walk with a pelvic tilt, as if we were squeezing a dime between our butt cheeks,\u201d she recalls.<\/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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This special section creates a spread of 2 photos that will jut out into the side margin.<\/p>\n

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A Black photographer in New York told her to get lip minimizer surgery. These run-ins happened regularly, especially at castings.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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After graduating she signed with Ramona Beauchamp Model and Talent Agency in Vancouver. Wilson recalls Beauchamp\u2019s words to her. \u201cLorna, you know, you can be number one if you really want it,\u2019 she recalls. Wilson was shocked, thinking about her big feet and everything else she thought was wrong with her. Despite all the doubts,”that was actually how and where I started,\u201d explains Wilson.<\/p>

It was during her time with Beauchamp that Wilson \u00a0decided to move to the fashion capital of the world, New York, in 1976.\u00a0 Sometimes she\u2019d be the only model booked and would worry about being good enough. She was young and didn\u2019t yet appreciate her value and worth. \u201cI never told anyone I was a model because you\u2019d almost always be criticized and judged. So I\u2019d say I was in fashion,\u201d she admits. It took until her 40s before she appreciated who she is and what she does.<\/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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Breaking Barriers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Wilson moved back to Canada in 1981 and was inspired by the former Miss Toronto (1956) and model agency owner, Judy Welch. She had an exceptional eye for \u201cinteresting\u201d faces, put editorial on a different level and really changed the industry. Toronto became an international hub for discovering editorial models who didn\u2019t fall into the traditional Barbie doll look.\u00a0 Even if they were short and looked like any woman, Welch transformed them into something special. She influenced Wilson and many others.<\/p>

Welch and Wilson worked closely together. \u201cI did print, shows and events for top designers like Zapata, Gerald Franklin, Dean and Dan, the twins now known as Dsquared2 and others,” says Wilson. “It wasn\u2019t long before Welch asked me to take a 13-year old student, Monica Schnarre under my wing,” she adds. Schnarre was the youngest model ever to win Ford Models Supermodels of the World. \u201cThat was one of my most memorable moments, giving back what I know and witnessing that unfold,\u201d says Wilson proudly.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Before long Wilson was teaching runway and anything that involved movement, like photo posing, body angles and poise.<\/p>

She felt accepted in the modelling industry, and considered everyone she worked with as family. She refers to Judy Welch as \u201cMother Nature.\u201d Before Welch opened a separate location for the agency, it operated out of her house. \u201cThe door was always open,\u201d says Wilson.\u201cWe were always welcome. It was a beautiful space.\u201d<\/p>

Wilson experienced micro aggression with some colleagues, sharing one incident. A Black photographer in New York told her to get lip minimizer surgery. These run-ins happened regularly, especially at castings. \u201cSomeone would say, \u2018you should have your hair this way, or you should do this or that,\u2019 and you didn\u2019t know where or how you fit in,\u201d adds Wilson.<\/p>

In Milan, they\u2019d inform the girls that there were \u201cenough\u201d Black models, or there were \u201ctoo many\u201d Black girls for the shows. But casting directors loved Black girls. Wilson says, \u201cthey would say, \u2019there\u2019s something about a Black model on the runway, you move more freely and have such elegance and stature.\u2019\u201d So Black models did get runway work, but not print.<\/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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Influence and Legacy<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Nowadays you can find Wilson at home, in her garden, tending to her dwarf fruit trees, or out bargain-hunting. Reflecting back on her modelling career, she acknowledges much of what she learned made her feel comfortable in her own skin, sharing, \u201cI know who I am, not saying I\u2019m great, but it\u2019s okay to be me,\u201d she says. \u201cThe world is filled with a wide range of people, each is unique, special and creative, even if they don\u2019t know it.\u201d This connects to her now being a hypnotherapist, which she thinks is meant to be.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s an extension of when I was a model agency teacher, helping people become comfortable with themselves, bringing out their uniqueness,\u201d Wilson explains. She\u2019s also authored two books, \u201cHealing the Fragmented<\/em> Soul\u201d<\/em> about using a SHIFT technique to retrieve souls and \u201cHealing Journeys Through Quantum Realities\u201d<\/em> about many types of inner self-exploration.<\/p>

Before parting we asked one last question. \u201cWhat advice would you give your younger self about the industry? \u201cFind what you like and build on it,\u201d she suggests. \u201cDon\u2019t try to fit in; that feeds you with negative thoughts about not fitting in.\u201d she adds. \u00a0\u201cAnd find what makes you different and like it, because it\u2019s your special gift to the world.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Toronto became an international hub for discovering editorial models who didn\u2019t fall into the traditional Barbie doll look.\u00a0 Even if they were short and looked like any woman, Welch transformed them into something special.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>

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Charmaine Gooden<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/article><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\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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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>

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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>

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Archive of images at BFC:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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