From Fashion to Face Masks
After taking five years off to focus on raising her two boys, clothing designer Kim Cathers had big plans for the release of a new clothing line under the name Constellation Apparel. Months into the preparation, her patterns and fabric were ready to go, and tourist season was just around the corner. Like many small businesses on Salt Spring Island, Kim was counting on the popular Saturday Market for a busy sales season, hoping her investments would pay off. But then the unexpected happened and the world was hit with Covid-19, leaving many local entrepreneurs with big decisions to make.
Kim knew she could count on the Saturday market for sales and her investments would pay off. But then the unexpected happened, the world was hit with Covid-19.
When one of her friends expressed their fear of leaving their house without a mask Kim decided to use some of her fabric to make a few samples. When she posted them on Facebook, Kim sold out immediately. Soon she couldn’t keep up with demand, and with the help of a small team of home sewers, Kim’s face mask business exploded. She was able to use the thousands of dollars worth of linen fabrics she had originally purchased for her clothing line, rent a studio in Ganges, and start an Etsy shop. In just a few months, Kim has sold over 6,000 face covers and is still going strong. Though she knows the business won’t last forever, pivoting from apparel to face masks helped her family get through these turbulent times. When the pandemic clears, she’ll be ready to officially launch the Constellation Apparel clothing line.
In just a few months, Kim has sold over 6,000 face covers and is still going strong.
In the meantime, if you need a mask you can visit Kim’s Etsy shop.
I’ll take one in every colour please!
