I Knew She Was a Model Before She Did: The Story of Jamie Shore
Sometimes, you recognize extraordinary talent long before the rest of the world has had the chance to discover it.
I've always believed that beauty is about much more than appearances. It's about individuality, presence, and that almost impossible-to-define quality that makes someone unforgettable.
As the founder of Le Manoir and GELCARE, and having spent years working in creative direction, fashion, beauty, and visual storytelling, I've developed a particular appreciation for the kind of beauty that leaves a lasting impression. I've always had an instinctive eye for color, composition, and the little details that make an image come alive.
And every once in a while, someone walks into your life who has all of those qualities without even realizing it.
For me, that person was Jamie Shore.
A Chance Encounter in Montréal
It was December 2018 when Jamie first walked into Le Manoir, my nail salon in Montréal.
I remember being immediately struck by her appearance. Her blonde hair, her captivating eyes, her smile. But beyond her physical beauty, there was something else. The way she moved, her energy, her natural magnetism. The kind of presence that makes you look twice.
She had that rare combination of striking features and effortless charm. Nothing about her felt manufactured or overly polished. She was simply herself, and that was precisely what made her so interesting.
I remember thinking, I'm looking at a future supermodel.
Naturally, I asked her if she was a model.
She said no.
I was genuinely surprised.
I asked whether she had ever considered modeling professionally and encouraged her to explore the possibility. I even recommended some of Montréal's leading modeling agencies because I was convinced that someone in the industry would recognize what I had seen the moment she walked through my door.
And then there were her hands.
Having dedicated my career to the art of nails, I pay particular attention to hands. Their proportions, their elegance, the way they move and photograph. Jamie had exceptionally beautiful hands, another quality that made me imagine her in front of a camera.
I could already picture her in a campaign.
From the Nail Salon to the Studio
In 2019, just a year after our first encounter, Jamie signed with Another Agency in Montréal.
I wasn't surprised.
But just as her modeling journey was beginning, the world came to a standstill. The pandemic brought much of the fashion industry to a halt, delaying the start of her professional career until 2021.
A few years later, our paths crossed again, this time under very different circumstances.
Jamie was finally pursuing the career I had imagined for her when we first met.
At the time, I was developing a new collection for Treasure Box, the jewelry brand I led from 2014 to 2023.
As its creative director, I was deeply involved in every aspect of the brand's creative process, from designing the jewelry pieces to developing the visual concepts, art direction, styling, nail artistry, and execution of our campaigns.
I had a very specific vision for the collection, and I knew exactly who I wanted to bring it to life.
Jamie.
There was something incredibly satisfying about seeing the young woman I had encouraged to pursue modeling now represented by an agency and available to book for one of my own campaigns.
It felt like a full-circle moment.
The Kind of Presence You Can't Teach
For the Treasure Box campaign, Jamie joined Audrey Roger and Carmel Roger, two remarkable talents who would go on to pursue international modeling careers.
It was a beautiful combination of personalities, faces, and energies.
I believe it was one of Jamie's very first professional photoshoots, but watching her on set, you would never have guessed it.
What struck me most was how naturally she understood the camera.
There is a difference between being beautiful and knowing how to translate that beauty into an image. Modeling requires intuition, movement, an understanding of light, and the ability to communicate emotion without saying a word.
Jamie seemed to possess that instinct from the beginning.
She brought an incredible energy to the production. She was engaged, expressive, receptive to direction, and remarkably comfortable in a creative environment.
As someone who directs my own shoots, I know how much a model can influence the atmosphere of a set. The right talent doesn't simply wear the clothes or showcase the product. They bring a vision to life.
Jamie did exactly that.
Her presence created momentum. She complemented the other models beautifully while maintaining an individuality that was entirely her own.
And that, to me, is the mark of a truly compelling model: the ability to become part of a creative vision without ever losing what makes you unique.Watching Her Make Her Mark
Over the years, one of the most rewarding parts of knowing Jamie has been watching her career unfold.
I would come across her campaigns online, see her appearing in storefronts, and recognize that same girl who had walked into my salon years earlier. Only now, she was becoming the face of brands like Canada Goose, Kanuk, Rudsak, Simons, and Reitmans.
There was something incredibly exciting about seeing her work reach that scale. And even more so when her career began taking her beyond Canada.
From signing with an agency in Athens to landing her first global campaign with Weekday in Greece, Jamie was building the kind of international experience I had always imagined for her. More recently, she signed with The Industry LA, marking another exciting chapter in her career.
I loved watching it all happen, sometimes simply through the images that would appear on my screen. Each new campaign felt like another reminder of what I had seen in her from the very beginning.
And what makes it even more special is that, through all these years, we've continued to stay connected, both personally and through GELCARE.
It's a beautiful thing to witness someone's success when you remember where their story began.
Some Things You Just Know
Looking back, what makes this story special to me isn't simply that Jamie became a model.
It's that I had the privilege of recognizing her potential before she had fully discovered it herself, and later, the opportunity to collaborate with her professionally.
There is something beautiful about watching someone grow into a talent you always believed they possessed.
Jamie has since moved to New York to pursue her studies, and I can't help but hope that this new chapter will also open doors for her modeling career.
As someone who has spent years working in fashion, beauty, and creative direction, I've learned to trust my instincts when it comes to recognizing talent. And with Jamie, that instinct has never changed.
I genuinely believe she has everything it takes to build an international modeling career. The beauty, the presence, the personality, and that rare quality you simply cannot teach.
I saw it in December 2018, the moment she walked through the doors of Le Manoir. I saw it again years later, watching her work in front of my camera.
And I can't wait for the rest of the world to see it too.
Keep an eye on Jamie Shore.