FREDERICTON – Two emerging New Brunswick fashion designers are taking their clothing line, supporting mental illness, to the catwalk in New York City.
Kayley Reed and Kyle MacNevin are the founders of “Wear Your Label” clothing line. The line of cozy couture is designed to support those living with mental illness.
“I think that’s what is going to be really exciting about this, we are not trying to compete on fashion like all the others brands are, we are trying to compete on our message,” Reed said.
She says their line hits the catwalk for the emerging designer showcase in New York on Saturday.
“It is very authentic and personal for me because I live with generalized anxiety disorder and ADHD,” MacNevin said.
Reed says she has also struggled with mental illness. She battled an eating disorder for more than two years.
“I think that scariest thing about that was the fear of being judged and not knowing what other people would think.
“That stigma – that is why we are trying to do something really positive with our clothing,” she said.
Reed says that’s why their garments are printed with uplifting message about living with mental illness.
“We use positive messages and bold statements, things that make you think about mental health but also remind you to take care of yourself.”
Inside each order, the designers also tuck in information about mental health support, along with hand-written messages of support.
“That is something we try to do with the brand is remind ourselves what we were going through in those really tough times and what would help us. So things like writing personal notes to our customers and telling them things like: you are stronger than you think you are,” Reed said.
She says their line, launched only a year ago, is taking off, particularly in the United States. They’ve gone from filling 50 orders a week to 500, so business is booming.
But more importantly, they say they believe awareness for mental illness is also growing.
“Eventually, we’d like to be out of business. We would love it if one day people could be as comfortable with mental illness as they are with physical illness,” said MacNevin.
Comments