Shama Gupta and Amit Thale of AEON Group Launch Poltrona Frau in Vancouver, Headlining Portfolio.YVR #15

Portfolio.YVR’s Design Special Edition puts British Columbia’s design talent in front of new audiences and new markets, long after trade shows close.

VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA, October 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Portfolio.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine has released its Design Special Edition, Volume 4, Issue 15, a digital issue dedicated to British Columbia’s design community and available now on portfolioyvr.com. The edition is headlined by Shama Gupta, who co-founded the AEON Group with Amit Thale in 2009. This October, the partners added Poltrona Frau to a Vancouver portfolio that includes Aeon Stone & Tile, Aeon Habitat, and Poliform Vancouver. Gupta has built businesses in India and Canada since 1982, and her feature covers the collaboration, design, and execution principles that grew one stone and tile company into a group representing two of Italy’s most storied design houses.

“IDS Vancouver remains an important moment for our design community, but a single large annual trade show cannot carry a year of business development for the creatives who drive this province forward,” said Helen Siwak, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Portfolio.YVR. “Searchability and AI visibility now shape how clients, partners, and investors find talent, and the BC creatives who use digital strategically will be the ones who keep this province on the map, and in front of new markets, all year round.”

The cover features Višnja (Vish) Pavicic-Kaltenbrunner, founder of V² Design Studio, a full-service luxury interior design practice working across residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. She holds a PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology. Her research career in Vienna, Chicago, and London preceded her move into interior design and the development of her philosophy, The Science of Design, which she also teaches through a masterclass series.

Meme Brooks, Founder and Creative Director of Meme Brooks Design, opens the issue with her journey, which began in residential construction and grew into an award-winning design, build, and staging firm with a team of nine. The firm brings interior design, renovation, project management, custom furnishings, and luxury home staging under one roof.

The features continue with Ema Peter of Ema Peter Photography, an internationally recognized architectural photographer whose career began in photojournalism, including an internship at Magnum Photos in Paris. Her work has earned an Architizer A+ Award, and her studio partners with leading architectural firms, interior designers, developers, and luxury brands worldwide. Tina Dhillon, registered architect and founder of Studio DO Architecture and Interiors, details the launch of Club Les Carrés, a digital platform and global community for Hermès scarf collectors that documents each collection’s design, provenance, and history.

Elle Hunter, owner of ellement re:design, reflects on more than 17 years in decorating, styling, and staging, and on STARS, the training program she developed for aspiring stagers. Ann Squires Ferguson, CEO and sole owner of Western Design+Build, represents Vancouver Island with her all-female team. The team grew from three to fourteen between 2013 and 2023 and has since amalgamated with her second studio, Design District, adding residential design, commercial procurement, and retail sales.

“Technology is already making parts of our work easier, and we should use it as a tool to carry our voices further around the world,” Siwak added. “Every feature we publish stays searchable, shareable, and working long after the show floor is packed away. That is how BC’s strongest talent reaches new audiences and new markets, and turns recognition into revenue.”

The issue also includes three QuickTake features. Natalia Vetrova of N.V. Studio, recipient of a Special Mention for Painting at the IX Biennale di Chianciano in Tuscany, outlines her custom murals, decorative finishes, and legacy portrait commissions for private residences.

Mike Freedman and Jennifer-Lee Gunson, co-hosts of the HAVAN (Homebuilders Association Vancouver) podcast Measure Twice, Cut Once, discuss the show’s 12th season as it approaches its 100th episode. Michelle Raymond of Raymond Realty introduces Elevated Experiences, a curated event concept that debuted this summer as part of Ladies Night In in support of Dress for Success Vancouver.

Two SnapShots close the issue. Natalie Myles of Natalie Myles Art Consulting opened the panova concept gallery in West Point Grey in 2026, where Poliform furnishings are shown alongside the gallery’s art. Janie Hungerford is principal designer of Hungerford Interior Design and a member of the Board of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

ABOUT PORTFOLIO.YVR BUSINESS & ENTREPRENEURS MAGAZINE

Portfolio.YVR remains advertising and distraction free, with every feature giving its subject the space to tell their story in their own voice rather than through a traditional business profile. That editorial model is paired with a full-service, post-publishing distribution strategy, including curated newsletters, social media amplification, replica site placements, digital repurposing, and paid international press releases, extending every feature well beyond the digital newsstand. That combination is why founders and entrepreneurs across British Columbia continue to choose Portfolio.YVR for full-service marketing support alongside their business profile.

ABOUT ECOLUXLUV COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING INC.

EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing Inc. is a Vancouver-based independent media and publishing company founded by Helen Siwak. The firm specializes in editorial development, brand storytelling, media brokering, digital distribution strategy, and hybrid digital magazine production. Through its flagship titles, Folio.YVR Luxury Lifestyle Magazine and Portfolio.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine, ELL Comms delivers narrative-driven content to engaged audiences across Canada and international markets, surpassing 6.5 million combined reads since January 2025.

ELL Comms operates a media brokering division connecting brands and publishers with strategic placement opportunities across print and digital platforms, including a national content partnership with Retail-Insider.com. Both flagship titles licence content to news agencies in Korea and Asia, extending their reach across international markets while maintaining a refined West Coast editorial voice.

The company is committed to elevating independent publishers and entrepreneurs, building long-term media partnerships, and democratizing access to professional publishing infrastructure across Canada and beyond.

Portfolio.YVR Vol. 4, Issue 15 is available now on portfolioyvr.com, with the Flip by Issue feature offering full digital access to every profile.

Helen Siwak
EcoLuxLuv Communications & Marketing Inc.
+1 778-847-3011
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