What’s COKANNA all about? Well, I’m about soft, comfortable clothing that fits in with your everyday lifestyle. It’s Canadian ethically made slow fashion produced right here in Ontario.
The styles are clean simple lines that easily integrate into your current wardrobe. This is not fast fashion.
My design principles & values
My designs are well thought out always keeping in mind the needs of women living with breast cancer or other health and mobility issues. The goal is to make your life just a little bit easier.
So, what do I mean by easier?
1. Giving you fewer mix & match capsule wardrobe pieces to choose from when you’re standing in front of your closet every morning.
2. Making it physically easier for you to get dressed every day. This means pieces that are easy to slip on.
3. Taking you right through your day in comfort and style in soft and breathable bamboo that accommodates all your activities.
4. Keeping you cool in the warm weather and warm in the cool weather because bamboo is thermal regulating. It’s year round dressing.
5. And finally, making it just as easy to get undressed in the evening when you’re feeling tired and your body is weary.
You’re part of the design process
Right from the very beginning, I’ve sought out your wants, needs, ideas, and suggestions. My very first design was the Maddison zip up top.
From sketch…
to sample
But, before I produced the Maddison, I ran several focus groups and had participants try on sample garments. It was a long process but good design takes time.
Breast cancer focus group participants testing out my very first design
Even so, I’ve made many mistakes along the way. And, I learned from each and every one of them, incorporating the knowledge and experience gained into the next round of designs.
And, you know what? I still love to engage you in the design process. For example, you always guide me by voting on the styles you like to wear and the colours you like to see.
To this day, I’m always surprised and then delighted and forever grateful when a customer places an order for something I designed. It’s such an honour.
However, I could not have done any of this without the many kind and generous souls who helped me along the way. They took me under their wings, helped me learn the fashion and manufacturing industry which I knew virtually nothing about, and were so very patient. Thank you.
It’s all about community
To sum up, sharing our time, knowledge, and resources makes all the difference in the world. This is what makes us better at being human beings.
At the end of the day, COKANNA has always been about creating a sense of community. And, the COKANNA Community Coffee Shop is a welcoming, open, and safe space for women to gather. Thank you for being a part of it.
All my best wishes,
~ Colleen
I’m a recovering Chartered Accountant and Breast Cancer Champion turned Fashion Designer. My COKANNA Canadian-made bamboo clothing is all about comfort and style. Giving back to the community is important to me so I support local breast cancer organizations who treat the whole person and not just the disease