01 / MODELINGModeling
Training, castings, runway shows and professional experiences to build presence, confidence and discipline.
Discover Shining Light Modeling →Modeling · Talent · Charity
Reveal talent.
Light up lives.
Shining Light turns fashion into a platform of confidence, discipline and impact. We support talent, create professional experiences and give back to the community.
2019–2025International projects
3 pillarsFashion, talent, charity
5 cities · 3 continentsA growing presence across Africa and the world
A singular vision
Between science, fashion and philanthropy
Shining Light was founded in 2020 by Claire Simada Aeschimann, who holds a master’s degree in experimental medicine and a bachelor’s in biotechnology. Passionate about research and driven by unwavering determination, she builds her path in medicine while leaving a remarkable mark on the worlds of fashion and philanthropy.
“Shining is not only about revealing yourself to the world. It is also about lighting the way for others — with dignity, heart and commitment.”
Modeling since the age of 17, Claire trained professionally in 2017 with Models International Management in Ottawa. She is also an interior decorator. Her journey has led her to collaborate with major companies and take part in prestigious events such as the Marie-Victorine fashion show, New York Fashion Week and Montreal Fashion Week. Her face also lights up advertising campaigns across the streets of Montreal.
From the very start of her career she faced barriers and stereotypes in her hometown. Those experiences strengthened her commitment to defending dignity, respect and inclusion in the modeling world. Confronted, directly and indirectly, with childhood trauma, she founded Shining Light Charity — aspiring to impact the youth of Africa and beyond, encouraging them to pursue their passion and explore their abilities without limits.
- 2018 — Indonesia Fashion Show
- 2019 — The Baie Fashion Show
- 2021 — Costco Magazine, Fall–Winter
- 2022 — Montreal Billboard, City of Montreal Holiday
- 2022–2025 — Montreal Fashion Show (designers: Ndaya Toto, Oscar Mendoza)
- 2024–2026 — New York Fashion Week Festival (designers: Richard Hallmarq, Rik Villa)
- 2026 — Afternoon Tea Fashion Show, La Vitrine Québécoise
Three worlds, one mission
Growing talent with purpose
Each pillar answers a concrete need: professionalizing models, awakening artistic talent, and turning success into meaningful action.
01 / MODELING
02 / TALENT
03 / CHARITYIn the field
Our activities in pictures
Runway shows, dance workshops and charity actions: a glimpse of the energy driving the Shining Light community, from Montreal to Dakar and Kinshasa.
Fashion Show Kinshasa
Dance Workshop
Mbour Nursery
Fashion Show Dakar
SATM 10 Fashion Show Ottawa by SLM
ONE DAY AS A MODEL OTTAWA
Les cris des enfants
Dakar Casting
Talent
Empire des EnfantsNews
Talk Therapy, our YouTube series
Honest conversations about childhood trauma, resilience and healing — brought to you by Shining Light Charity.
Talk Therapy — “I was sexually abused at 6 years old”: speaking about trauma to heal.
Talk Therapy EP 10 — Growing up after losing your parents.
“How Fashion is not an option in African Society” — fashion as a lever.
Your next step
Your light deserves a real platform.
Want to become a model, enroll a young person in a workshop, propose a partnership or support a charitable action? Start by telling us about your project.
1
Choose your path
Modeling, Talent, Charity or partnership.
2
Share your goal
Tell us what you want to develop or support.
3
Get clear guidance
Our team directs you to the right program or collaboration.
A measurable footprint
Success means the most when it is shared.
From Montreal to Dakar, Saint-Louis and Kinshasa, Shining Light works with children and young people through workshops, mentorship, donations and educational and artistic initiatives. And the story is only beginning: new African cities — such as Lagos, Conakry and Abidjan — will soon join the journey.
Our vision is resolutely international, with Canada as its anchor point. We are developing cross-residencies and international artistic cooperation projects that circulate talent between Canada and the rest of the world: models, dancers and designers train, create and walk together from one continent to another, with every exchange enriching both shores.
6+years of initiatives
5 citiesMontreal, Ottawa, Dakar, Saint-Louis, Kinshasa — with more to come
Fashion + Artsas levers of inclusion
1 missiondignity, confidence and impact
The people behind the mission
Our team
Two hubs, one shared vision: a Canadian team and a Senegalese team who bring Shining Light to life in the field.
Canada
Senegal
They trust us
Sponsors & partners
Brands, institutions and organizations that have supported our runway shows, training programs and charitable actions around the world.
DESIGNERS
Applications · Partnerships · Donations
Be part of the next story.
Join a community that doesn’t just put talent in the spotlight: it prepares them, protects them and gives them the means to make an impact.
Join Shining Light