THIS IS THE STORY OF HOW MY PERSISTENCE AND LOVE FOR FASHION HAS HELPED ME DISCOVER MY DREAM.

Hello there, my name is Shinea. I was born and raised in the small town of Woodstock, Ontario, and have wanted to pursue a career as a Fashion Designer for as long as I can remember. When I was around 11 years of age I had books filled with my own designs, and all of my Barbies had stylish hand-sewn pieces. It just came naturally to me. I went from designing everyday clothing to specializing in cocktail and formal dresses. No matter how hard I tried though, I still did not feel I truly understood my purpose in life. I exhausted all options, but in the end decided not to commit to studying fashion professionally. I truly enjoyed the freedom of letting my mind wander, and the fulfillment creating something from nothing brought to me, but at the end of the day this was a corrupt and artificial industry and I wasn’t quite ready to sell my soul to the devil. 

THE BEGINNING.

Fast forward to a few years after high school, in the summer of 2013, I had this serendipitous moment concerning an eco-conscious modular bra design while choosing an outfit for date night with my now fiancé. I became captivated with the idea, and everything just kind of escalated from there. The years to follow were filled with researching, perfecting prototypes, learning, lots of sewing, trial and error, even more research, and last but not least becoming a mother to two beautiful babies. I found it difficult at times to balance the every day trials of  kids and moving from place to place with my other half in the military away a lot. Not having any family close by, or a steady income myself, made me feel alone and somewhat helpless in ways. In others it brought about a lot of analyzing my life and a loving community of people that I otherwise would never have been exposed to. Despite everything, I knew what I needed to do. I wouldn’t be happy living through someone else. I needed to explore my idea and figuring out how all the pieces fit together. I needed to bring to life what I loved while setting a good example for my kids and being there for my family. 

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

During the years I have become more aware of the effects we have on our environment and our bodies. I have eliminated all chemicals from my daily routines, try to grow, buy local, or buy organic foods, and have changed the way I view fashion immensely. I am not perfect, but through my efforts I strive to keep educating myself to be healthier and less wasteful. Anyone who has ever contemplated the actions humanity has on us all has most likely read about the food industry, and the horrors behind the chemicals in the products we purchase and use every day. There is little exposure however, on the dark side of the glamorous fashion industry and this is where I’m hoping to shed some light. The consequences of fast fashion should not be overlooked. This industry is one of the top polluters in the world with issues surrounding sustainability, ethics, mass pollution of land, air and water, manipulation, and the misconceptions behind true earth friendly fibers. Through the years I have realized, as educated consumers we hold the power to decide our future and, now more than ever is the time to ask what can we can do to help? 

CROSSROADS.

Not having attended post-secondary school had its challenges, but it wasn’t all bad instead, it made me stronger and hungry for knowledge. For a long time I was ashamed and thought I wasn’t good enough to teach myself, let alone other people. I was wrong. Fast forward 6 years of enormous amounts of research later, and no one to tell but my kids, I finally realized a simple fact. There is always room for improvement in myself and even when you are a professional. Still maddened by the norm of this industry, its dirty ways, and the lack of information about the clothing we invest so much time and money on I knew I couldn’t stay silent any longer. Now, in my late 20’s, I have decided enough is enough. I will stand up, push my fears aside, and pursue my life’s dream.

MY MISSION.

I BELIEVE NOW THAT THERE IS A PLACE OR NICHE RATHER FOR EVERY PERSON WITH A BUSINESS TO PROVE THEMSELVES WORTHY.

Health, Family, and Happiness are what I view as my top three most important aspects of life and all go hand in hand but when one is disrupted they can all fall apart quickly kind of like the world we live in. There needs to be balance, and using up our earth’s natural resources, and treating our home like our dumping ground without acknowledging any consequences is delusional.

As a busy mom I’m familiar with the saying “work smarter not harder” and I realize just how precious time is. That’s why I have decided to take you on my journey of becoming an eco-conscious designer for my sustainable and biodegradable intimate apparel line, bra love co. Through this website I am creating a one-stop source of information to empower the like-minded people in this world alongside further educating myself about the benefits and negatives our choices have. How they impact us and our environment, and what little things we can do to improve our quality of life, now and for the future of our children and planet for years to come.

IN THIS WORLD WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO BE GRATEFUL FOR AND YET WE STILL TAKE SO MUCH FOR GRANTED. IT’S TIME TO START REVERTING BACK TO THE BASICS ALL THE WHILE BECOMING SMARTER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE PRODUCTS WE USE AND THE CHOICES WE MAKE EVERYDAY. IF NOT US, WHO WILL.