a historical storm

By sistascloset

GIRARD — The typical reaction from customers when they first step foot into Sweet Memories Vintage Tees & Candy is that of awe, said the retro candy and T-shirt store owner Linda Barton. They’re flooded with memories of candy and sodas from their childhood, and often say out loud, “I remember these, I remember these,” […]

Kelowna clothing company on a mission to promote emotional health

By sistascloset

A Kelowna-based clothing brand has made helping people open up about mental health its mission.Friends of Felix was started by Austin Penrose and Mahlon Head in 2022. Head and Penrose wanted to make clothes that would start conversations about mental health. “Both of us grew up in sports backgrounds so mental health was kind of a huge thing that doesn’t get talked about, especially with young men or young boys in locker rooms and stuff,” Penrose said.The Friends of Felix clothing line says things like “call us if you get lost,” “a subtle reminder,” and “mental wellness club.”“We created the brand as a way for people to bridge that gap between those awkward conversations that they might not know how to facilitate,” Penrose said.READ MORE: Interior Health plans to reopen Kamloops complex care site after arsonFriends of Felix donates 10 per cent of its proceeds to HeadsUpGuys, a mental health charity out of UBC Vancouver that provides online resources and helps connect people to resources in their area. Penrose says the company is proud of their financial contributions but the goal is to get people talking to each other.“We try to have these pieces that are a bit more loud and stand out a little bit, like who is Felix? What is Felix?”“Felix isn’t necessarily a person. In almost every language out there where Felix is a recognized name, it usually has ties to words like happy, joyous, lucky or fortunate. We’re fortunate to be here, even though it may not feel like it all the time for some people,” Penrose said.Penrose said being able to connect with customers in person has been the most rewarding part about starting the company.“We’re online-based. All of our sales are through our website except for these one-off pop-up events we do. Sometimes at these events we’ll see people wearing our stuff and they’ll come up to us and tell us and open up about what they’ve been struggling with and what family members have been struggling with so those conversations that we have with our community is the coolest thing,” he said.The brand has plans to release a new line of designs at the end of 2023 and early 2024, but Penrose hopes to grow the company into something more than just clothing.“We don’t really know what that would look like yet. We have aspirations to facilitate events, speak at universities, bring mental health to that younger audience and eventually be known as more than a brand for clothing that is committed to mental health,” he said.Find out more about Friends of Felix here.Go to HeadsUpGuys here.To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won’t censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

Duplicate Styles Lure Holiday Shoppers, from Lululemon to Birkenstock

By sistascloset

By Katherine Masters NEW YORK (Reuters) – Lauren Maginness is a fan of Lululemon. But the 31-year-old product marketer in New York City is increasingly supplementing her activewear with less-pricey brand duplicates she picks up through e-commerce site Amazon.com. One of her favorites: CRZ Yoga’s $32 …

Grandma’s feelings are hurt by a forgotten product

By sistascloset

Dear Annie: I’m a 23-year-old woman living with my parents because the cost of housing is so high. This is creating problems, especially in my relationship with my father. He has been disrespectful to me for a long time, at least since I was 18. He makes disparaging comments about my weight, my friends and […]

Ideas by the client to renovate Hoover Center

By sistascloset

HANCOCK — A Hancock landmark is being preserved and renovated to its former glory. The Hoover Center building on Quincy Street was bought by Jonathon Nagel earlier this year after the closure of Finlandia University. A self-described “architecture and historic preservation geek,” Nagel had taken note of the building on his bike rides around town […]

What happened to Jane .com in Utah?

By sistascloset

As a Jane.com executive announced its liquidation, vendors said they had suspected the popular online retailer might be in trouble weeks ago. That didn’t make the blow any easier.

The Fast- Hipsters Taxing

By sistascloset

Tax Notes contributing editor Nana Ama Sarfo discusses how lawmakers across the globe are looking to taxes to address problems with fast fashion.

International Video of BoF Voices 2023

By sistascloset

Join our annual gathering for big thinkers from Tuesday, November 28 to Thursday, November 30 as we unite the movers, shakers and trailblazers of the global fashion, luxury and beauty industries with the thought leaders, entrepreneurs and inspiring people shaping the wider world.