A little more than a year ago, a 13-year-old girl from Steveston was in the depths of depression, holed up in her house like so many of her peers during the pandemic.
Fast forward 15 months or so and Amaya Alicia Cruz, now 14, is about to live out her dreams on one of the biggest stages of them all.
This weekend, McMath secondary student Amaya will be strutting her stuff as an up-and-coming – and much sought-after – model on the runways at New York Fashion Week.
It’s a quite stunning transformation and meteoric rise for a young girl who, at the end of 2021, had absolutely zero modelling experience and had just surfaced from a severe, clinical depression diagnosis.
Suffice to say, her mom, Pam Abarca, is bursting with pride for her daughter, who wowed audiences and designers alike on no less than 14 runways last year, including at Bridal Fashion Week, Vancouver Kids Fashion Week and the Rose and Thorn Fashion Show.
“It’s quite incredible. It’s like a dream right now,” Abarca told the Richmond News from her hotel room in New York City.
“When the offer (for New York) came in, I think I was more excited…she was like ‘yea, let’s do it.’”
“I said, ‘do you understand how huge this is?’ She said, ‘Yea mom, it’s one of the biggest shows in the world, but that’s ok. I can do it, this is what I’m made to do.’
“She was so calm and cool about it. But that’s who she is. She’s just amazing. She’s so down to earth and very humble.”
Amaya hitting the NYC runways Friday and Saturday
Amaya will take to the runway later today (Friday) at Gotham Hall, before taking part in two shows on Saturday at the Hall of Mirrors.
Abarca said her daughter was given the offer to model in New York by Vancouver-based designer Kayzie Couture, who has apparently “really taken Amaya under her wing.”
“It’s incredible to think she only started modelling last year,” said her mom, who works at BC Children’s Hospital.
“She had gone through a really rough time with depression during COVID…due to isolation, among other things.
“In the midst of supporting her, I said to her ‘what are your goals?’. She said, ‘you know mom, I’ve always wanted to model since I was little.’
“So I said to her, ‘as soon as you get better, we’ll get your head shots done.’ That was the first step.
“I knew she liked the idea as a little girl but, as a parent, you’re always very cautious, especially when it comes to the fashion industry.”
Designers keeping close eye on Steveston model
Well, Abarca needn’t have worried, as Amaya, with her mom by her side every step of the way, appears to be a natural, with potential suitors lining up to have her parade their designs on the runway.
And backing up her mom’s assertion of her daughter’s humble nature, Amaya also spends some of her free time acting as a mental health advocate to help other teenagers who are dealing with depression.
She is planning to return to Touchstone in the spring – where she previously got help with her own depression – to offer mentorship as part of an eight to 12-week program.
“She still has highs and lows for sure, but I’m very proud of what she has done in such a short space of time,” added Abarca.
