{"id":5945,"date":"2022-01-17T15:37:05","date_gmt":"2022-01-17T20:37:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/?post_type=cpt_portfolio&p=5945"},"modified":"2026-07-07T02:48:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T06:48:48","slug":"celia-sears","status":"publish","type":"cpt_portfolio","link":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/profiles\/celia-sears\/","title":{"rendered":"Celia Sears"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t

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Emiline Badalian and Bianca Thompson<\/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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Highlights<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Celia Sears turned a life-changing trip to Milan into Show Division, a backstage agency powering hair, makeup and nails for fashion\u2019s biggest runways.<\/li>\r\n \t
From early days modelling and testing MAC products to styling for major retailers, she built a rare, 360-degree understanding of fashion\u2019s front and back stages.<\/li>\r\n \t
Through Inclusive Backstage<\/em> masterclasses, she now trains artists to care for textured hair and deeper skin tones, pushing the industry toward true inclusivity.<\/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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In 2000, Celia Sears decided to travel to the breathtaking city of Milan, Italy to visit friends and also check out the international fashion market. Little did she know that trip would ultimately change her life.<\/p>
Fast forward 22 years and Sears is now Founder and CEO of Show Division, described on its official website\u00a0<\/a> as ‘the fashion industry\u2019s number one provisioner of Backstage Creative Support.’ Sears created Show Division eight years ago, with dreams of working with the most elite fashion houses and luxury brands and that is exactly what she\u2019s accomplished.<\/p>
Show Division specializes in providing key hairstylists, makeup artists, and manicurists for some of the biggest names in fashion. Vogue, Fendi, Dior, Gucci, Versace, you name it and Show Division has more than likely been a part of bringing their vision to life.<\/p>
Five years ago, Show Division Pro Session Development, offering Inclusive Backstage Masterclasses was launched. \u201cOur mission,\u201d Sears explains, \u201cis to teach professional hair stylists and make up artists how to work with Afro-textured hair and deeper skin tones.\u201d<\/p>
Barriers in the industry are nothing new for people of colour. A 16-year old Sears experienced it personally as a budding Black model trying to break through in the \u201880s. \u201cI faced a lot of challenges because of the lack of inclusion,\u201d Sears recalls. \u201cAt the agencies I\u2019d be told to my face, ‘we already have one Black model.’ It\u2019s tokenism and there was a lot of it, more than you might imagine,” she says.<\/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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Photo courtesy of Celia Sears<\/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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Celia Sears in conversation backstage (Photo courtesy of Celia Sears)<\/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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Sears credits her Jamaican mother and Guyanese father for her creativity. \u201cGrowing up with a Jamaican mom really forms you,\u201d she says. \u201cMy mother, Winnifred Sears, pursued her passion for the arts when it was uncommon and to this day,\u201d she explains, \u201cshe\u2019s the artist in the family, still paints, does pottery and writes poetry.\u201d<\/p>
Quisbert Sears, her late father, was a hard-working electrical engineer who, in his free time, loved entertaining his family. \u201cMy dad played a mean guitar,\u201d Sears remembers. With a mom and dad who, along with her three sisters Terese, Rosemarie and Djanet, all excelled in their own careers and hobbies, it\u2019s no surprise that success is in Celia\u2019s DNA.<\/p>
Her roots are also very important to her and despite being born in London, England and living in Italy for 22 years, for Sears, \u201cJamaica is where my heart lives and whenever I visit my grandfather\u2019s hometown, Treasure Beach, I get that sense of familiarity,\u201d she says. She often goes back in August, before fashion show season starts, so she can return to Milan feeling refreshed.<\/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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Photo by Frank Toscan (Photo courtesy of Celia Sears)<\/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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Celia Sears top knot hairstyle, photo by Frank Toscan (Photo courtesy of Celia Sears)<\/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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Seeing my long time dream of making the backstage world of fashion shows, more accessible and welcoming for young Black hair stylists, makeup artists and manicurists come to life,\u201d she says proudly. “It was about being ready and able, finally, to launch Inclusive Backstage.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Growing up, Sears always knew she wanted to work in fashion and in 1985, studied merchandising, design and retail management at Toronto\u2019s Seneca College. At 16 she began modelling and eventually went to work with MAC, when co-founders Frank Tuscan and Frank Angelo were just developing the cosmetics brand which would go on to dominate the industry.<\/p>
Back then, Sears\u2019 sister, Terese, had a company called the Canadian Fashion Alliance, where she put on fashion shows for up and coming Toronto designers. At one point MAC became the official makeup sponsor. They needed to test the colours they were coming up with and this is how Sears built a close relationship with both Franks, which led to her doing campaigns for MAC hair, a line created for Afro textured hair in collaboration with Gladys Knight.<\/p>
This ambitious fashion industry entrepreneur didn\u2019t stop there and was continually learning, adding skills, knowledge and services she could offer. Eventually, Sears started working behind the scenes as the director of new faces for a model and talent agency, formerly Penny Noble. \u201cI oversaw casting models, ensured they were ready for the main boards and organized photo shoots,\u201d she explains.<\/p>
After three years, Sears went on to work as a commercial fashion stylist for the fashion house Focal Point. From there, she became a freelance stylist and had the opportunity to work with massive companies like The Hudson’s Bay, Sears, and JCPenney. \u201cI was so fortunate,\u201d she admits. \u201cIn addition to the knowledge I gained and the competitive edge that afforded me, working with big brands allowed me to expand my horizons beyond Canada.”<\/p>
And after a trip to Milan in 2000, when she fell in love with the city\u2019s elegant but sexy edge, she moved there.”What made it an easy decision for me is having friends living there and loving Italy\u2019s beauty, so why not move there?\u201d Sears adds.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Celia Sears in feather hat, black dress and gloves, photo by Peter Strube (Photo courtesy of Celia Sears)<\/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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Fashion and Diversity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For Sears, staying in Toronto would have created stagnancy in her career. She always felt like there was so much more to learn and experience outside of Canada when it came to fashion. \u201cThere comes a certain point where, especially being in Toronto, you think ‘this is it?’ The pool is so small, and the talent level is so high, you can end up being a big fish in a small pond, never knowing exactly how talented you are until you really put yourself out there.”<\/p>
Between her varied professional experience and time living abroad, Sears knew what to do in order for Show Division to be accepted by the Big Four cities–London, Paris, Milan and New York–and reach the next level, which she tells us, \u201cis seeing my long time dream of making the backstage world of fashion shows, accessible and welcoming for young Black hair stylists, makeup artists and manicurists come to life,\u201d she says proudly. \u201cIt was about being ready and able, finally, to launch Inclusive Backstage.\u201d<\/p>
What came as the biggest shock to Sears, was learning how many of the new hairstylists and make up artists she was training, had no idea this issue existed in the fashion industry. What was a pleasant surprise, though, is how receptive and willing to learn they are.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u201cJamaica is where my heart lives, and whenever I visit my grandfather\u2019s hometown, Treasure Beach,\u201d she says, \u201cI get that sense of familiarity.\u201d She often goes back in August, before fashion show season starts, so she can return to Milan feeling refreshed.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Today, as\u00a0 stated on the website, Show Division is embraced by major fashion organizations globally. \u201cIt\u2019s not rocket science,\u201d Sears insists. \u201cIt\u2019s education. It\u2019s about teaching and training those working backstage, ensuring they\u2019re knowledgeable and completely competent when it comes to textured hair and darker skin,” she explains.<\/p>
And as the industry continues to evolve, we must continue to pursue this direction. “Inclusivity initiatives are necessary. We must strive for more diversity and education remains the key. This is how we help the industry keep growing,\u201d she observes.<\/p>
Sears truly believes that everyone in the industry has to be more accountable for their actions. \u201cWe have to plan for what the future is going to look like,\u201d she tells us. \u201cIf you can\u2019t find what you\u2019re looking for, create it,\u201d she states. “That is what I did with Show Division. This will be my legacy; it\u2019s what I hope to leave behind in the industry.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Celia Sears in gold top hat (Photo courtesy of Celia Sears)<\/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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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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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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\n \n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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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
\n\t\t\t\t\t