TORONTO – July 14, 2023 – “If my husband hadn’t purchased me an unpleasant orange skirt, I’d by no means have develop into a clothes designer and Miik clothes wouldn’t exist,” says Donna Smith, Designer/Proprietor of Miik vogue model primarily based in Etobicoke.
Donna explains: “It was 2011 and my husband introduced dwelling this ugly orange skirt. I hated the color and the model, however as soon as I attempted it on, I couldn’t cease sporting it. There was one thing about how extremely delicate the skirt felt in opposition to my pores and skin. It was buttery delicate. I had by no means felt something prefer it. It was made from bamboo.”
Donna ended up sporting that orange skirt all summer time lengthy, after which in the future, inspiration hit.
“On the time I’d go to the mall and realized that not one of the shops had been speaking to a me as a lady my age,” she explains. “The garments had been both for my mom or my daughter. I quickly realized that if I had been keen to put on a skirt that I didn’t like simply because it felt nice, what if I might create designs I completely liked in the identical buttery delicate cloth?”
Donna is a graphic artist by commerce with a background in illustration. “I had no vogue background, however I’ve three sisters and once I was rising up, I’d lay out their outfits for them every morning,” says Donna. “I even designed my very own marriage ceremony costume and had it customized made.”
Tremendous delicate, fashionable and sustainable clothes model, Miik is born
Donna based Miik in 2011 (named after her husband Michael Gaughan whose nickname is Mick). Donna’s imaginative and prescient was to create a luxurious line of sustainable clothes that’s the excellent mix of favor, consolation and sustainability and geared to the age 30 to 80+ particular person.
The Canadian made Miik line options basic items together with blazers, tops, pants, skirts and cardigans which may be combined and matched.
“We make garments that assist a lady to really feel stunning, assured and comfy utilizing sustainable materials that final for years,” states Donna. “Our entire philosophy is about paying truthful wages, doing issues regionally and overseeing every step of the method to take care of high quality management. Bamboo is our most important cloth utilized in totally different weights, together with some Lycra. We solely use eco-friendly materials. Our total line is made from the identical stretchy cloth that’s tremendous delicate and so snug to put on.”
To start with Donna used a sample maker, sourced materials, made samples, and employed a salesman to promote her designs to boutiques throughout Canada.
“We began with just some designs, after which the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the shops closed.”
However that’s not the tip of the story. Donna, who admits she had by no means used Fb previous to COVID, shortly reworked her firm to on-line gross sales.
“This was actually the turning level for us to get our model in entrance of hundreds of thousands of individuals on-line,” says the Miik designer/proprietor. “Throughout COVID I needed to discover ways to use images, primary lighting, develop into a mannequin, mannequin all the garments by myself with out assist, after which determine on-line advertising and marketing. When COVID was over, I requested my sisters, neighbours and buddies to mannequin so folks might see the clothes on all physique varieties. I wasn’t certain how prospects would reply to this, however we had an overwhelmingly optimistic response. Individuals needed to see actual garments on actual ladies.”
The Canadian made Miik line options basic items together with blazers, tops, pants, skirts and cardigans which may be combined and matched – see under
Miik is proudly Canadian ‘for ladies by ladies’
Miik is a proudly a Canadian firm ‘for ladies by ladies.’ Donna designs each vogue look. The corporate mills their very own materials utilizing sustainably sourced fibres.To keep up high quality management, they produce small batches of every design within the Better Toronto Space. There’s additionally a retailer entrance in Etobicoke the place prospects can e-book an appointment to strive on clothes assisted by the Miik vogue guide.
At the moment, Miik has over 10,000 Fb followers and a pair of,500 members of their Fb group, and a rising variety of loyal prospects whose closets are brimming with Miik fashions.
The evolution
of the model has not been with out it challenges, in response to Donna. “One of many first issues I needed to do was to create a stretchy blazer out of the identical cloth we use for our leggings. I used to be informed that it wasn’t potential as a result of the material was too skinny and wouldn’t maintain its form.” However Donna persevered and added a particular cloth to the internal jacket entrance to create the tailor-made look she needed. “Our blazers are buttery delicate; breathable and have four-way stretch. They’re so snug you’ll neglect you’re sporting a blazer. They are often worn with denims or worn with our pants or one in all our attire for the look of a swimsuit.”
Donna’s favourites
Not surprisingly, Donna’s closet is stuffed with Miik items (aside from denims, she says), and her favourites embrace the Shandra Tank, the Rio tank, the Christal pant and quite a lot of attire. With capsule wardrobes being a sizzling subject on Pinterest, Donna suggests a number of must-have items to create a journey or multi-season capsule wardrobe: “The Shandra Tank, the Emily Blazer, the Christal Pant, the Wesley or Rory Waterfall Cardigan, the Lucia collared shirt and one in all our attire.”
Donna says look out for brand spanking new fall colors
Donna designs new items and introduces new colors for every new season so as to add to the gathering of her tried-and-true best-selling classics.
“For fall we are going to function a fantastic jade color that’s a mixture of blue and inexperienced; a darkish pine inexperienced, a brand new crimson, together with our core colors,” provides Donna. “I’m now engaged on the Spring 2024 Assortment and though we haven’t finalized the lineup but, you can be seeing some prints for spring, together with ink blue, moss, ruby and a fantastic pink color.”
For extra info on Miik, go to www.miik.ca
Attempting is Believing: My Expertise Sporting Two Miik Items
Listening to about how delicate, snug and exquisite Miik bamboo fashions are to put on, I needed to strive it for myself. I ordered the best-selling Emily blazer and the RJ costume in basic black.
Every thing I had heard in regards to the Emily blazer was true—it seems to be like a tailor-made jacket but has the stretch and luxury of a cardigan. I’m an enormous fan of a blazer as a ‘third piece’ to decorate up denims and a t-shirt. The Emily blazer seems to be skilled but is so snug. This blazer will develop into a go-to piece in my wardrobe. When paired with the RJ costume, it seems to be like a complicated swimsuit.Laurie Wallace-lynch
The label on the Emily blazer reads: 90% rayon from bamboo, 10% Lycra Spandex. Dry clear solely.
Sporting the RJ costume
The RJ costume has clear traces and an A-line form that’s determine flattering. The hem is under the knee making it snug to put on, but it’s a glance that may be dressed up or down for any event. You could possibly put on this costume to work, out to dinner and even to a marriage. It’s a fantastic wanting costume that’s the proper weight to carry its form, and it is available in beautiful colors like Plum and Blueberry in addition to primary black and navy.
I’m completely amazed at how delicate the material is on this costume. Donna is true when she calls bamboo “buttery delicate.” Even on a scorching summer time day the bamboo feels cool and delicate on the pores and skin. The fabric has a pleasant quantity of stretch (however not an excessive amount of that it loses its form). The highest of the costume is fitted with a pleasant waistline and the material of the skirt flows out from the waist. It’s determine flattering and certain to get loads of compliments! The RJ Miik Gown is destined my new LBD (little black costume). In actual fact, I’m so enthralled with the match, cloth and flattering silhouette, that I plan to order this costume in one other color.
Having tried two Miik clothes, you possibly can add me to that listing of loyal Miik followers! I do know that I’ll have these items in my wardrobe for years to come back and hope to quickly add extra items to construct a capsule wardrobe!
(My due to the crew at Miik for the media low cost permitting me to strive the clothes and write about them first-hand). For extra info go to www.miik.ca
by Laurie Wallace-Lynch
Different articles from totimes.ca – otttimes.ca – mtltimes.ca