FASHION

FASHION BUSINESS

+ CREATIVE ARTS

INSTRUCTOR PROFILES

NICOLA MACEWENPROGRAM DIRECTOR

Nicola first became fascinated with fashion when she worked as a model and knew that she wanted to expand her experience and expertise in the industry. With that in mind, Nicola enrolled in The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fashion Merchandising Management. In her third year, Nicola decided to broaden her international experience by studying at FIT’s sister school, Polimoda in Florence, Italy where she fell in love with textiles and home décor.

After graduation Nicola accepted two part time roles, one with an architecture firm where she bought and sourced materials and the second as an assistant to the VP of a luxury modern home boutique. Only 6 months later, she accepted her dream job as a merchandiser for luxury home furnishings retailer, ABC Carpet & Home. Here, Nicola worked as an Associate Buyer where she travelled abroad in search for new products.

Although New York was close to Nicola’s heart, she needed a change and jetted off to Vancouver. After a short period of consulting for local retailers she accepted a teaching position at JCI in the Fashion Department where she quickly was promoted to JCI’s College Director.

Currently, Nicola is JCI’s Fashion Director where her primary focus is supporting the success of her students. The best piece of advice she gives to her students is that you never know where the industry will take you, so be open to whatever comes your way.

SUNJA LINKINDUSTRY LIAISON & INSTRUCTOR

OF CAREER PLANNING & ELEMENTS

OF DESIGN

Having graduated from La Salle College in Montreal, and designing her own clothing line (www.sunjalink.com), Sunja brings strong technical experience and a wide understanding of the production cycle to our Fashion program. Working with prominent Canadian labels such as Luscious Clothing, and cult favourite local retailer The Block, Sunja’s insight into the consumer market, production sourcing, fashion promotion and styling brings a valuable asset to our students.

MELANIE MCINTOSHINSTRUCTOR OF RETAILING, MARKETING & ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Merchandising and Communication from Ryerson Polytechnic University, Melanie is the owner of her own retail consulting company. Helping clients develop their own retail identity, she is well versed in many areas of the fashion industry including event coordination, marketing, branding and retail operations. Prior to consulting, she spent several years in the fashion retail sector allowing her to build contacts and develop her natural skills in training others.

TERRY PITTSINSTRUCTOR OF FASHION HISTORY & TEXTILES

A Douglas College Fashion graduate, Terry comes with many years of teaching experience in both fashion illustration and fashion history at various private Colleges. Terry has worked as a fashion illustrator for commercial advertisements

in magazines, newspapers, press releases and posters. She has also has illustrated for TV and Film with such credits as Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Fallen, and the ever so popular, Twilight. Terry’s illustrations show extraordinary talent and personal style, which is complimented by an impressive knowledge of costume history. Terry is a natural when it comes to communicating her skills and knowledge to her students.

CARA WHITTAKERINSTRUCTOR OF VISUAL DISPLAY

Cara has been a prominent visual designer for nearly 20 years dedicating over half that time with The Bay in both Ontario & British Columbia where she was a Senior Women’s Wear Stylist. Cara currently holds an amazing position as a Visual Coordinator with Holt Renfrew in downtown Vancouver. Cara’s been involved with several fashion photo shoots and fashion shows including Holt Renfrew’s Gala Fashion Show. With her cheerful personality and passion for creativity, students at JCI are fortunate to have Cara as a

career mentor.

JOAN DE RAUCOURTINSTRUCTOR OF RETAIL BUYING,

STYLING & FASHION SHOW

PRODUCTION

Joan has been involved in the fashion

and modeling industries for over

25 years. Joan has worked as a

model, fashion show coordinator

and stylist throughout Canada and

was involved in the buying, retailing

and merchandising of Stephane de

Raucourt shoes for 15 years. Joan

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graduated from the prestigious

Sheffield School of Interior Design in

New York City and runs a part-time

interior design consulting business.

TANIA BEAUPITINSTRUCTOR OF VISUAL DISPLAY

Tania Beaupit first joined Guess

Jeans Corporation as a manager of

the first outlet location in Canada.

She was then was promoted to

manage multiple Guess locations

across Ontario. Tania then moved

to Vancouver, BC to become the

District Visual Manager for Guess for

7 years. Looking for a change, Tania

joined Group Dynamite as a Head

Merchandiser for Garage Clothing

where she oversaw 15 locations. She

was then promoted to Regional Visual

Supervisor overseeing 52 Dynamite

and Garage locations across Western

Canada. Tania supports the US

expansion and is happy to have been

with Group Dynamite for over 6 years.

Tania has been teaching at JCI since

2010 - we are so thrilled to have such

an expert educating our students in

the area of Visual Display.

JIHAN AMERINSTRUCTOR OF FASHION STYLING

& INTRODUCTION TO FASHION

Jihan Amer’s journey to becoming

a freelance stylist started as a young

girl living in India. Her mother, a

designer, exposed Jihan to the

world of fashion at an early age by

taking her around the world while

showcasing new collections. This

experience sparked Jihan’s love for

fashion and design, and inspired

her to pursue it as a career. Before

studying fashion at JCI Institute,

she travelled the world as a clothing

buyer/designer for boutiques in

Vancouver and Calgary, and worked

as an assistant manager at BCBG

Maxazria and Miss Sixty.

Since graduating from the Fashion

Program at JCI Institute in 2010,

Jihan has worked with a long list of

leading brands in Canada and abroad.

In India, she worked as an assistant

stylist at Lakme Fashion Week in

Mumbai before returning to Canada

as a junior agent (and curve model)

at Wilhelmina Vancouver. Today,

Johan continues her career as a

freelance stylist for a wide range of

clients in Vancouver, and shares her

passion as a teacher at JCI.

MORGAN MALLETTINSTRUCTOR OF FASHION

ILLUSTRATION & PHOTOSHOP

WORKSHOPS

Morgan Mallet is the Creative Director

and founder of Design + Conquer, a

jewellery design company known for

pushing the limits of design through

their unique fusion of industrial and

organic aesthetics. Prior to founding

DC in 2009, Morgan developed and

honed her progressive style, earning

her BFA in Painting, and a B. Des.

in Graphic Design. Her diverse skill

set and passion for creating through

innovative processes has earned her

numerous accolades and a reputation

for defying convention.

In 2009, Design + Conquer saw early

success when Morgan’s designs were

shown on the catwalk at Toronto

Fashion Week and on Fashion TV.

Since the successful launch of her

company, Morgan has collaborated

with major electronica musicians such

as Future Unlimited, Teeel and Teen

Daze for Design + Conquer collection

videos. In 2012, she designed a

custom neckpiece for San Francisco

electronica band Stripmall Future,

and in April of 2014, her designs were

photographed for Harper’s Bazaar

Singapore editorial.

Through Design + Conquer, Morgan

has also won numerous awards

and gained international praise. In

2010, she was the sole Canadian

designer represented at ETSY’s first

international office opening exhibition

in Berlin. She was also shortlisted

for Western Living Magazine’s 2011

‘Designers of the Year’ award in the

fashion and jewellery category. And

most recently, Morgan was named

the winner of VNB’s ‘Vancouver’s Top

Creatives’ in the Fashion Category.

Morgan’s passion for the industry

makes her a great addition to

our team.

AMANDA HAINESINSTRUCTOR OF PR

& COMMUNICATIONS

Amanda Haines completed her BA

in Psychology at the University of

British Columbia, followed by a

Certificate in Public Relations from

Langara College. Since then, she

has cut her teeth in public relations,

project management and branding,

overseeing the media and marketing

strategies of high profile lifestyle

clients across Canada. Seeing a

gap between boutique and large

PR and marketing agencies, in 2012

she founded Reformation PR, a

full-service firm that offers a well-

rounded and personal approach to

contemporary public relations. She

currently teaches PR at JCI Institute

and SFU.

WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO SAYMICHELLE ESTERAS“Words could not express my

gratitude towards my exceptional

instructors who have become my

mentors and molded me to become

successful in the industry. The

Fashion Arts program led me to

explore my strengths and build up

my weaknesses as well as value and

character. It is not-at-all a glamorous

industry, yet, it is one of the most

rewarding. It requires passion,

determination, hard work and that

extra mile of effort. After graduating,

John Casablancas staff went all

the way with me with full support

and faith in what I can achieve. It

definitely is an institute that trains

you to become the best and become

part of the real world of the fashion

industry. I am blessed to be part of

this Institute.”

ANNAIS CHUNG“It was such a memorable experience

for me. The whole program was very

precious and I have learned so much.

The instructors were amazing. I’ve

learned more than I expected and

made friendships and memories.

Thank you and hope to see you

again in the future. Marie- Claude,

Lori, Jim and everyone at the great

John Casablancas Fashion Institute,

thank you!!! I will never forget you

great people! You guys are amazing!

When I’m successful, I won’t forget

that it was John Casablancas Fashion

Institute who raised me to be “ME”

(future me).”

MARIA NAVARRO“This program has brought me

together with the most memorable

people I ever met. Our class was

more than friends but I consider

them family. The teachers were

inspirational and always fun to

be with. I’ve learnt a lot and feel

confident about going out there and

conquer the fashion industry!”

DEBBIE LEE“My learning experience at John

Casablancas has helped me

quickly launch my career in the

fashion industry. Working now as a

Merchandising Assistant in one of the

most dynamic clothing manufacturers

in Canada, I am able to apply my

knowledge in many areas such

as organizing line release fashion

shows, providing styling tips at photo

shoots, analyzing the latest trends

for upcoming seasons, and executing

all necessary activities to bring a

concept into a finished garment.

The small intimate classes at John

Casablancas not only allowed more

one-on-one time with the instructors,

but also gave me the opportunity to

make good friends.”

SHEREE-ANN GERRY“The JC staff quickly became family

to me and saying goodbye was one

of the hardest things that I have

ever done. I met so many talented

individuals who were always willing to

help. I was worried at the beginning

that I couldn’t draw (and hated

every` moment that I had to!) but

Terri taught me how to appreciate

illustration and how to make it

my own. All of the teachers were

amazing, but Judi always knew

how to make us smile. The Fashion

Show was unbelievable, we learnt so

many aspects of fashion and then

watching it accumulate into one

show was astounding.”

MELISSA GLADUE“When first entering JCI, I knew

the fashion world was fast paced;

now I’ve experienced that pace.

JCI offered us a lot of volunteer

experience working with people in

the industry. These experiences I feel

were extremely valuable for me to

grow in this industry. Thank you for

the experience, see you at the

next show!”

BONNIE CHUNG“I must say, this program was more

intense then I had imagined, but at the

same time, this program taught me so

much! This course was not just about

fashion, but it’s also about teamwork,

time management, handling stress and

pressure and how to strive towards

reaching your goals.

Current information and events on

the fashion industry, and various job

postings helped me keep in touch with

what’s going on around me! Out of all

schools that I’ve attended, I had the

most fun, and felt the most successful

at JCI. Thank you to all the teachers and

staff, you guys are amazing!”

JILLIAN CAMPBELL“It was a great experience, great people and good times. I learned so much. John Casablancas was like a little family for me.”

MARIÁ-JOSÉ HERNÁNDEZ COS“I came out of this program with a

feeling of excitement and anticipation

for my future. I feel prepared to enter

the fashion industry confidently.”

SAMI WARD“This program was a definite highlight

in my educational career. I have never

felt more focused, accomplished, or

passionate toward something in my

life. After ten months spent learning

about all aspects of the fashion

industry and applying everything, I

feel 100% ready for the next stage of

my life. I am confident to begin my

career within this industry. I would

HIGHLY recommend this program to

anyone that is interested, not only do

you come out with a well-deserved

Diploma, but you also develop and

grow into a family along the way.”

FEATURED GRADUATESSIMA KUMARIt’s hard to keep up with Sima’s amazing success. She is

an International Fashion Stylist, working in Europe, NYC,

LA and Vancouver and has styled for today’s hottest

celebrities including Elton John, Brad Pitt, Sean Connery,

Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan, Kylie Minogue and

Swollen Members. In 2002, Sima was nominated for four

MTV awards for her work in music videos for No Doubt,

Jennifer Lopez, Incubus and POD. Fashion, commercial

and print editorial work includes styling for Christian

Dior, Yves St. Laurent, Paris Fashion Week, the Grammy

Awards and GQ Magazine.

MICHELLE ESTERAS Shortly after graduating, Michelle was hired as a

Fashion Designer for Moba Moga. A few months

later, she became the head designer for 69 Evolution.

Michelle’s talent in design opened up creative skills in

Visual Merchandising, and she put those to good use

with huge retail giants including Gap, H&M, BCBG,

and Ever New. After working in a junior position with

Gap her career developed into the role as Head Visual

Merchandiser of H&M stores in Dubai, and later Manager

of Visual Merchandising for all BCBG stores in Western

Canada. All that hard work has paid off, and she’s now

the International Visual Manager for Australian based

company, Ever New, overseeing stores in 11 countries!

CAROLYN DEBENHAMAs the Overall Achievement winner of her class, Carolyn

put every effort into her training at JCI while also working

at Le Château part-time. Although design is her passion,

her leadership skills paid off and upon graduation she was

offered a Manager position. In one short year, her dream

came true and Carolyn accepted a design position with Off

the Wall. Since then Carolyn’s career has taken off with elite

design firms like Mavi Jeans, Jana, and currently, Aritzia. I

don’t think it will be long before we see her own label!

MIHAELA CIOCANAfter graduating, Mihaela didn’t waste any time

launching her career. Even before she graduated she

founded her own image consulting company, ImagePro

Consulting and shortly after grad she opened a women’s

apparel and accessories store. She is a member of the

West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, West Vancouver

Women’s Network, and the Association of Image

Consultants International who honoured her with 2

leadership roles: Co-Chair of First Level Certification

and VP of Communications for the Canada Chapter.

Over the years, Mihaela has given numerous

presentations and training sessions and has written

many image features for trade and business magazines.

She’s offered her expertise with media conglomerates

including City TV, Shaw Multicultural Channel, 1130

News, The Vancouver Sun, 24 Hours, Block Magazine,

The Vancouver Courier, The North Shore News, BC

Business Magazine, The Globe and Mail and The Province.

Congrats to Mihaela on her

amazing accomplishments!

HEATHER BAKERShortly after graduating, Heather worked as the Key

Stylist for RDS Women’s catalogue and for a snowboarder

photo shoot for Infamous Management company. She also

helped produce two fashion shows for Blushing Designs

and was the Sales Representative for the RDS Girls

collection. Heather is now working with a photographer

and has acted as a personal shopper and stylist for one of

the Vancouver Canucks.

VERONICA GUANOnly a few months after graduation, Veronica launched

her own successful clothing line titled “Veegy”. Her

collection has been shown in two JCI fashion shows, and

was recently featured in BC Fashion Week. Veronica used

every project at JCI as a tool for her collection’s image

and business plan. “Veegy” can be found at National

Retailer, The Bay as well as several stores in Hong Kong.

KIRAN KHAIRA After graduating, Kiran was hired as the special events

coordinator for The Bay Downtown. She organizes

everything from fashion shows including international

apparel brands to product launches for large-scale

cosmetics companies.

MARIA JOSE HERNANDEZ COZ After graduating, Maria launched an online fashion

website www.stringmagazine.ca that quickly gained

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Karpluck, and recently Brendan Fraser

in New York.

In 2009 Mario was nominated for 3

National Magazine awards, and in

2010 he was awarded the Fashion/

Beauty Applied Arts Award. Today,

Mario continues to work on projects

that inspire creativity and further his

passion for photography.

BUDIANTO NASRUN While enrolled in the Digital Design

program at the Vancouver Film

School, Budi felt as though he was

missing an integral component that

would complete his ultimate dream

job! He enrolled in the Fashion Arts

program at JCI to combine digital

skills with his passion for art & fashion.

He has now created a contract career

that combines graphic design, fashion

styling, and fashion photography.

His resume includes work for

Unipro Apparel, Zebra Club fashion

retailer, The Bay, JCI fashion styling

photoshoots, JCI fashion shows, and

String Magazine. It wasn’t a surprise

that Budi was chosen to be involved

in the “Live Artfully” Event hosted

by The Bay Downtown showcasing

young hidden talent. With a solid

portfolio and a number of contacts,

Budi is no longer hidden and is now

a well-known digital fashion expert!

LAUREN DESLAURIERSWith many years of retail

management experience in her back

pocket, this always smiling grad has

achieved so much success in such

little time. Lauren has an incredible

talent for just knowing what fits and

flatters her clients and has a knack

for scouting new and exciting labels.

This made her an invaluable asset at

the high-end Vancouver boutique,

Libertine where she was a buyer and

manager of store operations. Within

her role at Libertine she travelled to

New York and Paris twice a year to

prepare her buying seasons. Europe

caught Lauren’s attention and she’s

currently working in London (UK)

as the Retail Development Manager

for Westley Richards, a 200 year old

country attire and rifle company.

A quote from Lauren: “I got back from

my first buying trip to NYC and Paris

in mid-March. It was such an amazing

experience! I could not have done it

without you guys.”

BRITNEY RAE-DOUGLASShortly after completing the Fashion

Arts program at JCI, this dynamic

graduate accepted a position as an

Assistant Buyer for the John Fluevog

Shoe Company. She is committed

to achieving her goals, and is

currently proving that as she

continues working full-time while

completing a Bachelors Degree.

SARAH KOSSWhile attending JCI, Sarah also

completed an internship at a

wholesale agency in the Fashion

Exchange. There, she had a

hand in everything from sales to

merchandising, and also attended

wholesale tradeshows in Western

Canada. After graduation, this

Seattleite moved back home and

landed a sales gig at Nordstrom.

Over the next four years Sarah

climbed the ranks and now manages

one of the top Studio 121 and

Bridge Coat departments within the

company – bringing in over six million

dollars per year. In her most recent

endeavour, as “mentor manager,” she

provides her expertise to the teams

opening new Canadian stores and

helps train their staff. Looking to

the future, Sarah has her sights set

on becoming a regional divisional

manager or an assistant buyer.

popularity amongst industry

professionals and fashionistas alike.

Editorials include the latest fashion

trends, industry events, hot deals,

and insights into what’s happening

in fashion. Maria participates in

the extra-curricular JCI portfolio

workshops by choosing top teams to

be featured in monthly editorials.

FALA CHIEN Upon graduation Fala launched her

own women’s wear line, “Play with

Fala”. Her collection’s concept and

philosophy reflects Fala’s desire to

empower women through styles that

inspire and project self-confidence,

poise and exuberance. “Play with

Fala” has been featured in New

York Fashion Week, Elle Magazine,

Flare Magazine, Vancouver Fashion

Week, The Province, String Magazine,

Vancouver Observer, and is currently

sold at shops in Canada, USA, Taiwan

and in her online store http://shop.

playwithfala.com/. Selections of her

line are often seen worn by celebrities

in her home country of Taiwan.

MARIO MIOTTI Mario was born in Canada, and

has lived in Italy, Australia and

the U.S.A. After training at JCI, he

moved to Montreal for 2 years to

further his career and knowledge in

the industry. He is currently based

in Toronto and New York, where

he is an accomplished fashion and

beauty photographer. Mario has also

established his own niche in being

able to merge large luxury items with

lifestyle and fashion.

He has photographed in numerous

locations around Europe and North

America. His magazine clients include:

Lou Lou, Pure, Clin D’Oeil, Mariage

Quebec, Argyle, Lush, More, Sharp,

Audi. His campaigns for established

designers include: Andy the Anh,

Rafinalla, Mackage, Soia &Kyo,

and Zeugari. Commercial clients

include: L’Oreal, Feria, Richard Booth,

Cotton Ginny, Moods Salon & Salon

Daniel. Celebrity clients include:

Inga Cadranel, Ben Mulroney, The

Canadian Tenors, Leah Miller, Erin

INDUSTRY TESTIMONIALS

STEPHANE DE RAUCOURTSHOES, JOHN FLUEVOG

“I have maintained a business

relationship with John Casablancas

for the past 15 years and continue

to rely on their expertise and

professionalism from hiring fashion

graduates to models.”

TANYA WESTMACOTTLE CHATEAU INC.

“I have hired several individuals

from the John Casablancas Fashion

Arts program and found them to

be creative, passionate, and well

prepared for the business of fashion

and all that it entails.”

BRIAN HILLARITZIA

“I have hired John Casablancas

graduates and found them to be

qualified and well prepared to

perform their jobs. I would not

hesitate to hire a JC grad again.”

TRACEY PINCOTTSTYLIST AT LARGE, PRINT & FASHION SHOW PRODUCTION

“I have always been able to rely on

John Casablancas fashion students

to assist in various aspects of my

fashion show productions. They are

very professional, committed and

prepared. They are always a pleasure

to work with.”

PICK A CAREER THAT SUITS YOUR STYLE

OTHER CAREERS IN FASHION FASHION MERCHANDISERResearches the market and works

with designers to determine the

season’s fashion direction. Analyses,

interprets and predicts design trends,

colours, fabrics, and styles to be

considered for the collection.

BUYER The Buyer holds the pivotal role

of visiting sales representatives

and manufacturers to select the

merchandise for its store that best

suits the store’s target customer.

The success of the store will

frequently depend on the decisions

made by the Buyer. The job usually

involves a lot of traveling to local

and international markets.

SALES REPRESENTATIVE A Sales Representative markets one

or many lines from a manufacturer

and presents them to Buyers,

encouraging them to purchase the

line(s) for their store.

FASHION STYLIST The Fashion Stylist creates the look

for models in fashion photography,

television commercials, magazines

and music videos and also acts as

a “makeover” consultant to assist

clients in recreating their look with

clothes and colours best suited to

their body shape and lifestyle.

VISUAL MERCHANDISING AND DISPLAYThis very creative specialist

is responsible for the overall

appearance of a store, creating

window displays and in-store

merchandising in order to make the

store appealing to its customers.

FASHION SHOW COORDINATORThe Fashion Show Coordinator plans

and executes all elements of a fashion

show including selecting the venue,

clothes, music, models, etc.

FASHION DESIGNEROne of the most glamorous careers

in fashion, the Fashion Designer uses

their artistic ability and knowledge

of fashion to create a range of styles,

selecting the fabrics, colours and

accents, which will become part of a

fashion collection.

• PUBLIC RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE

• FASHION ADVERTISING / MARKETING

• FASHION IMPORTER / EXPORTER

• STORE DESIGN PLANNER

• CREATIVE DIRECTOR

• FASHION ILLUSTRATOR

• BRIDAL CONSULTANT

• FASHION EDITOR

• FASHION INSTRUCTOR

• STORE MANAGER

• FABRIC DESIGNER

• GROUP SALES MANAGER

• FASHION DIRECTOR

• INVENTORY PLANNER

• PRODUCTION MANAGER

• COSTUME DESIGNER

• STORE OWNER

WHY IS JCI RIGHT FOR YOU?

In addition to winning several top school

awards, each student is personally guided and

nurtured throughout the program to recognize

their professional abilities and celebrate

their uniqueness and over-all potential. We

care about our students and are committed

to ensuring their success, both during the

program and post graduation. Our small class

sizes mean that our students will get more

individual training time with the instructor,

making them more qualified to enter

the industry.

The name “John Casablancas” is known

worldwide, creating a reputable, internationally

recognized diploma. John Casablancas

Institute is affiliated with John Casablancas

Vancouver Model Management, an

international modelling agency, and Vancouver

Talent, a local talent agency. This connection

places our students in the core of the fashion

and film industries in Vancouver and provides

a window into the makeup and high fashion

scene on the runways of New York, Paris,

London, and Milan.

Our students gain valuable experience being

involved in actual photo sessions, fashion

shows, film sets and theatre productions and

real job opportunities are created by John

Casablancas’ policy of exclusively hiring its

own graduates.

If you are interested in Fashion and would like

to receive more information regarding this

program, please contact the Institute at

604-688-0328 (or toll free 1-866-688-0261).

An Admissions Consultant will be pleased to

set up a Personal Information Session

that includes:

- A discussion of the full program curriculum

- Instructor Bios

- Graduate Lists

- Class availability and Start dates

- Student Loan Information

- A Tour of the School

Information packages are available for out of

town applicants.

Early registration is strongly recommended.

Suite 150 - 220 Cambie Street Vancouver, BC, Canada V6B 2M9

Tel: 604-688-0328 Toll Free: 1-866-688-0261 Fax: 604-688-9365

E-mail: info@jcinstitute.com

jcinstitute.com

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