Amanda Rozak is doing fashion right. She is thriving in one of the most dynamic fashion marketing jobs as Casting Specialist for North America for lululemon, matching models and looks in locations like Los Angeles, Toronto, New York, Australia and New Zealand. She will soon be stepping into an exciting new role as Events Lead, Indigenous People Network. This position will work alongside her current position as Casting Specialist to support events such as Orange Shirt Day and National Indigenous People’s Day. The Blanche Macdonald Fashion Marketing grad is on the front line of ensuring that diversity is more than a marketing buzzword, while proudly celebrating her Indigenous heritage.
“For the longest time, there were always three siloed aspects of my life: my career, my friends and my cultural life. They never intersected. Now I’m able to blend them. That’s true happiness for me.”
“For the longest time, there were always three siloed aspects of my life: my career, my friends and my cultural life. They never intersected. Now I’m able to blend them. That’s true happiness for me.”
“I was able to go to the unveiling of the lululemon Team Canada 2024 Paris Olympic collectors pins,” she smiles. “All Team Canada’s athletes received lululemon kits that include their ‘out of performance’ clothes and pins, which they could exchange with athletes from different countries. They’d commissioned Ocean Hyland, a Tsleil-Waututh artist, to make the designs for two pins. We went to the luncheon where we met the artist and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation did a traditional performance. They led the ceremony, and we were there to be witnesses. It was so beautiful.”
Growing up on Vancouver Island, young Amanda was always fashion-obsessed.
“I would spend summers with my Dad in Port Hardy. Every time I could go into town I would pick up every new fashion magazine I could get my hands on. I’d dream about this world where they created these beautiful things and clothes. I didn’t know what I could do in the industry, but I knew I wanted to be part of it.
“My parents thought I needed something secure so I got a job at a government agency, which was stable, well-paid and so boring. I saved up, went to Europe and said that when I came back I’d go to Blanche Macdonald to pursue fashion marketing jobs. I liked the courses Blanche offered. It seemed perfect for someone like me who had no experience in the Industry.”
“My year at Blanche was great. I remember my final Fashion Styling shoot. I turned up prepared, stayed true to the concept, got it shot really quickly and received the highest grade in the class. I was so proud. That was a big moment for me.”
Amanda had made her decision. Her year in the Fashion Marketing program helped Amanda figure out how to create a place for herself in the industry she’d been obsessed with for years, opening her eyes to the wide range of fashion marketing jobs available.
“My year at Blanche Macdonald was great. I got this broad scope of the industry, which was what I needed. I remember my final Fashion Styling shoot. I’d come up with a grunge rock concept married to the tornado from the Wizard of Oz. It seemed like an abstract idea but I turned up prepared, stayed true to the concept, got it shot really quickly and received the highest grade in the class. I was so proud. That was a big moment for me.”
After graduation, an opportunity at powerhouse Vancouver Model and Artist Agency Lizbell, turned into an internship and eventually evolved into Amanda becoming Agency Director, working with dozens of the city’s top makeup artists, stylists and actors, along with high profile clients like The Bay and Holt Renfrew. Her work at Lizbell gave her firsthand experience in areas that are key components of many fashion marketing jobs. A decade on the front line of Vancouver’s fashion industry and a pandemic later, Amanda was ready for a change. She made a list of ten people who she had great working relationships with. And the Global Casting Manager for lululemon was one of the first people on that list.
“I saved up, went to Europe and said that when I came back I’d go to Blanche Macdonald to pursue fashion. I liked the courses Blanche offered. It seemed perfect for someone like me who had no experience in the Industry.”
lululemon may be a Canadian company, but as Casting Specialist, Amanda is always thinking globally, whether she’s in Vancouver, LA or New York.
“My day-to-day schedule varies depending on where we are in the calendar year. Last year, we had around six weeks of shooting, five days a week, leading up to our holiday campaigns. That included a week where we were simultaneously shooting in New Zealand and New York for five days. Leading up to that was wild. There was a three-day casting in New York to find talent for that portion, and I was also researching agencies in New Zealand, reaching out to them, and coordinating everything. My regular workday is nine to five, but New York starts responding at 6am, and New Zealand starts responding at 4pm. That was intense. But it’s a privilege, and I never take it for granted. I’m so grateful to do the work I do because there are some truly amazing moments.”
One consistently amazing aspect of Amanda’s fashion marketing job is how she is able to ensure lululemon represents diversity around the world. It’s a task that requires subtlety and a commitment to authenticity.
“Not everyone fits a certain image. It’s about trying to find ways to present people authentically. But representation matters, and there’s no greater feeling than seeing it come together.”
“We’re always conscious of making sure the person we cast is the best fit for the job. We’re not just trying to fill a certain ethnicity quota to look diverse. We’re trying to learn, just like everyone else. I have family members, myself included, who don’t have dark skin, even though I’m 75% Indigenous. We’re not all going to have long hair, a centre parting and dark skin.
“I try to apply that same lens to Indigenous people and models from all ethnicities. Not everyone fits a certain image. It’s about trying to find ways to present people authentically. But representation matters, and there’s no greater feeling than seeing it come together. It’s so rewarding to have that first introduction, see potential models get excited about the opportunity, watch them have a great experience on set, and then see the final result go live. That’s awesome.”
“I was able to go to the unveiling of the lululemon Team Canada 2024 Paris Olympic collectors pins. We went to the luncheon where we met the artist and the Tsleil-Waututh Nation did a traditional performance. It was so beautiful.”
Amanda is working with people, but at its core, her role requires a deep understanding of the foundations of fashion. The business side of fashion marketing jobs often demands a strong grasp of industry trends, historical influences, and consumer behaviour—lessons Amanda learnt at Blanche that she’s using daily.
“Even in brainstorm sessions there will be references to periods, movies, specific artists and designers, and everybody will assume that you know these things. Having that foundation of knowledge – being able to understand when someone says they want a ‘Twiggy-type model’ or that they love the ‘’90s supermodel era’ – is essential.”
The Blanche Macdonald connection runs particularly deep for Amanda.
“My daughter acts. We go to potlatches and participate in events with the Urban Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw Group. Blanche’s Fashion Department Career Director Mel Watts is also my daughter’s agent. We met up recently at the premiere of my daughter’s first film, Sticks of Our House.”
The last word? We’ll leave that to Amanda.
“I’ll finish with the Kwak̓wala word “g̲ilakas’la” which means hello, welcome, and thank you!”
