Meet the Vancouver teen vying for the title of Miss Teen Universe ​on March 31, 2025 at 1:00 pm

Her main goal in joining the competition is to further awareness for a greener future for fashion, she says.

“It’s really about my advocacy for sustainable fashion and climate justice,” she says.

The founder of Vancouver Sustainable Fashion Week, Shi became passionate about raising awareness on fast fashion and its impacts on human rights and the environment after visiting a factory in Xinjiang, China.

“This experience really impacted me,” she says. “I’m hoping to really advocate for workers on a global scale.”

While Shi admits people are often surprised by her path to pageants — “Even my dad, when I told him, I wanted to join a pageant, he was like, ‘Oh, what? Like, what is the purpose of you doing that?” she says — she says the competitions provide a unique platform for the causes many competitors hope to support.

“It’s really beyond a crown and a sash. It’s really about our purpose, our platforms,” Shi explains. “For me, it’s sustainable fashion. For other girls, there is mental health, there is women’s health, there is therapy … It is truly about advocacy and passion.”

Shi will compete for the title of Miss Teen Universe International during a 14th edition of the competition in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic April 7-13.

As for her top piece of advice for shoppers looking to make more sustainable fashion choices, Shi says it’s OK to start small.

“You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to do the best you can,” she says. “The little things can really help change the world.”