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Who is this Bian Variani? and how did he get where he is?

Fashion, says Bian, is a rotation of different mediums affected by culture, night life, music, trend setters, celebrities and us the designers. Fashion is in the direction of new experiences with open doors for the ones who are not scared to dare to be different.

Much of Bian's success may be attributed to his stimulating youthful experiences. His father was from Paris, his mother from Milan, their common language being Croatian until they learned English. Bian describes his youth as adventurous, a new experience each day.

Bian's mother was a fashion designer who emphasized the values of art. So from an early age designing was part of Bian's world and even ambition other than acting out his adventures as a super-hero. But he needed other outlets by now in Canada, where his mother operates a hotel and restaurant in a small town near the Alberta-U.S. border and busily sews clothes for the local population. Bian was into parasailing, motorcross racing, traveling, baseball, hockey, acting, camping, writing music, playing piano, and girly girls that can make a boyz heart skip beats.

He is in a fine position to attract young women sporty cars lent to him by exotic dealers as advertising, his natural ebullience and seeming interest in everything, including them, the glamorous world of fashion into which he can introduce them. Although he has been close to marriage his current settling down is for enjoying the single life with benefits.

EVE asked him about his rap dancing, which was energetic and focused and lively and natural at the show we covered. He denies he had to learn it, I'm just having fun, despite the seriousness and demands of his committed work, is the way he presents himself to the world.

With a home in Calgary, a new steady location in Vancouver, and his cutting and manufacturing in Milano, Bian gains freedom of movement through the internet. He now designs in Vancouver, sends his patterns to Milano by email, and travels from hotel room to hotel room as he keeps up a major schedule of press and runway shows, sometimes alone, sometimes with others. But he does steal two months a year of free time. Calgary is his get away from work.

Having his Fashion House in Milano has not been a problem for him. His family and early background no doubt helped. But he thinks that Milano is neutral to newcomers and open to them. Aside from Vancouver he enjoys New York, London, Paris, Los Angles, Miami and of course Milano. "The world is pretty huge - I would love to have shows in 128 countries." There speaketh enthusiasm.

He wants to develop more shows in Vancouver, and has a mammoth spectacular in the planning stage for later in 2009. Every show is a RUSH and always a party and we can give the city some spark.

Any one of us contemplating starting a business from scratch has collywobbles at the risks, the choice between eating and putting that money in the business. Bian is vague about this, his optimistic exterior no doubt pushing it aside. On obstacles ìWhen I see a stop sign, I keep going. On distressing moments I'm not a stressful person, I'm more of a fun guy. Rarely do I get upset, and have the asset of improvising when barriers arise.

Whatever he touches he develops creatively. He did not stop with his degrees in Advertising/Marketing and Fashion but wrote a book in 1995 "Unlimited Motivation" He says he's been a leader, not a follower, and not had to think about critical individual support.

Now there seems no need to worry. Bian aims to go more up-market, and he treats everything as fun, fun, fun (while keeping an eye on his watch.) The lifestyle occupies him 24/7. "The night life takes me to the moon. Love to be the firecracker at the parties but writing poetry and dancing to slow songs is the key to my heart, in response to the query, What brings you down to earth?" Some of his poems and his expression of himself are on his web site www.bianvariani.com.

And his advice to others, the up and coming? Never give up. The only difference between you and the designer in the magazines is that both of you had a dream and only one of you followed through with your choices in life. When you are left out and no one believes in you, believe in yourself. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. If there is a mountain, climb over it, if you see water, swim across it, if someone's response to your dreams are negative, it's ok, it's just that they need a new idea to their own visions in life and until then their confidence and direction is not on the same level as yours. Shoot for the stars and you'll land on the moon. I'll see you there.