MOST Magazine Fashion APR'15 ISSUE NO.8 | Page 89

orn in London England to Punjabi parents, Amrit grew up in Western Canada, on the prairie plains of oil-rich Calgary in the majestic shadow of the Rocky Mountains. Educated and trained in a variety of disciplines, she has a degree in Science and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing. She has had a dizzying array of career paths. Working as a radiographer in the medical health services; making the world a more beautiful place with her colourful ventures in cosmetology; inspired countless individuals globally in fitness and modeling and a top tier success in business as a marketing corporate sales executive in telecomm and pharmaceuticals. She has spent the latter part of her adult life jet-setting around the world and is a globally published Fitness/Health/Beauty Expert, a certified Personal Trainer, Nutritional Consultant, Supplement Specialist, and Author. Amrit Dhaliwal, as a unique combination of business, beauty, and fitness, has pioneered the entry of ethnic Indian women into the world of pro-fitness modeling. Known as Canada’s “Punjabi Femme Fatale,” Amrit is not only a rare beauty of South Asian decent, she is the only Indian Fitness Model worldwide to fuse two distinct worlds of glamour and bodybuilding. Founder of GLAMFIT, she introduces an elegant feminine fitness physique. As a global inspiration to aspiring models, both in fashion and fitness, Amrit is honoured to serve as a role model to the next generation of upcoming talent. Asked in an interview how she got started on this road, Amrit replied: “Every girl wants to be a rich, famous movie star when they are young. We’ve all dressed up, had tea parties, and dreamt of living in a mansion. As we grow up those fantasies can disappear with the pressures and challenges of real life, but that little girl inside me never went away and continued to ignite my passion. In High School and University, I was very fashion conscious, but didn’t care much for working out. Youth was on my side and fashion was my passion! Having worked as a Cosmetologist, I was constantly working with models on creative shows and being part of something so beautiful, so incredible, gave me butterflies. I loved being part of it all. I had found my calling.” mrit’s first professional photoshoot was with the iconic Canadian photographer Raphael Mazzucco, whose photographs have appeared on the cover of three Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues, and in coffee table books for Victoria’s Secret and Sean Combs. Mazzucco has a signature style, photographing models very close-up, revealing all angles of their beauty. His talent has taken him around the world, shooting campaigns for Guess and Calvin Klein, featuring supermodels like Veronica Vařeková, Elle Macpherson, Rebecca Romijn, Rachel Hunter, Daniela Pestova, Elsa Benitez, Carolyn Murphy, and Yamila Diaz. Amrit shares her early roots in modeling and fitness: “Each shoot has been truly magical. I was solidly immersed in the world of glamour, that I didn’t grasp the value of how fitness and health played a role in how I looked and felt; but the world had a funny way of kicking me in the butt and reminded me that something is missing in my life.” This became my reality when I was bed-ridden from a nasty fall on a slippery sidewalk. I had a pinched sciatic nerve with a sub-luxed SI joint, with www.MOST mag.com || F A S H I O N >>> M A G A Z I N E || 89