Jeanny Buan has always dreamed of having her own bridal shop.
“I always had this vision that I’d be designing dresses, designing bags,” she said.
Born in the Philippines, Buan immigrated to Canada in 2011 and, after a few years, started to realize her dreams.
Buan launched her first brand, Viahera Canada, in 2017 and recently took over ownership of Saskatoon’s Mylynh Bridal.
Buan is an advocate for sustainable products.
“Growing up, I lived a sustainable, ethical life because we had to,” she said.
Her bags are eco-friendly and ethically sourced.
“I designed the bags in Canada then sent them over to the Philippines,” Buan explained. “Women who are victims of Typhoon Haiyan make them for me.”
“I need to empower women,” she added. “Workers need to be paid fairly; they need to have their benefits.”
Now, Buan is looking to apply those principles to Mylynh Bridal, hoping to bring in eco-friendly and sustainable dresses to the shop within the year.
“We’re looking into getting suppliers already from Cambodia, Vietnam, Canada or even the U.S.,” she said.
Buan’s goals also include giving back. A portion of the proceeds from her bags and dresses has helped send 168 kids in Indonesia to school so far.
“Growing up, I was a scholar as well in school,” she said. “Without people helping me go to school, I won’t be where I am right now.”
“Giving kids an opportunity to get a proper education, learn English, be a global citizen — that means a lot to me,” Buan added.
She also aims to make the bridal store a safe space for the LGBTQ2 community.
“We would do before-hours or after-hours appointments for them so they’re more comfortable to shop around,” Buan said.
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