MEET THE MODEL

AMBER WITCOMB

Amber Witcomb is accustomed to being photographed, but the 23-year-old model was a little taken aback when she learned that Benjamin Shine would be creating a tulle portrait of her for our anniversary cover. “I’ve never seen work quite like Ben’s,” she says. “It’s so incredibly timeless and beautiful. I’m sure I’ll always remember it once my modelling journey is over.”

That journey started three years ago when her agent, Sean Penhall of Want Management, scouted her at a music festival. “I noticed this tall avatar flower girl walking toward me,” he recalls. “I knew right away that she was special. I remember saying to her once she signed that she’d be my first star, and, sure enough, she was.”

The British-born, Canadian-raised model has walked all the major runways and shot campaigns for Céline and Burberry. “I think the Burberry campaign is my favourite memory thus far,” she says. “When I saw the campaign on billboards in London, New York and Milan, it was surreal.”

Landing her first magazine cover with was also surreal. “I feel incredibly humbled,” she says. “For me, the special moment will be seeing my family and friends in Canada pick up the magazine. It’s a massive milestone in my career!”

Witcomb, who has a degree in media and communications from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., also read the Lord Byron poem “She Walks in Beauty” for the fashion film created for this shoot. (See fashionmagazine.com/fashion40.) “I’m a romantic myself, so this poem resonated with me,” she says. “It’s incredibly beautiful to read aloud.”