Kaela Kay fashion is 'modern, chic and feminine'
January 18, 2020
Leaving a full-time job to be an entrepreneur is always dicey.
Catherine Addai was prepared to take the chance as she knew risks are necessary for businesses to be successful.
At Western University, she completed a degree in Health Informatics in 2005 and spent a decade working in the health care sector.
“My thinking was that I would climb the corporate ladder, become a manager, get married, have kids and just live a nice life,” the Downsview Secondary School graduate said.
Eight years ago, Addai’s mother gifted her a sewing machine.
With no formal training, she bought a book, ‘Sewing 101’ and utilized YouTube to make her first dress from Fabricland Canada cloth.
“I wore it to a wedding reception and everyone’s eyes were on me,” recalled Addai. “It occurred to me that I was on to something and I started sewing for friends in the evenings after work.”
In 2017, she quit her job to focus on designing and styling.
“At the time, I was nervous and very scared, but that was something I had to do,” said Addai who has a Project Management certificate from the University of Toronto.
She created Kaela Kay as a lifestyle brand for the modern woman who wants to express her inner colours in an outward fashion.
“I focus on bold and vibrant prints in classic and classy silhouettes that can be worn by women in a wide age group and various sizes,” said the married mother of four children. “I chose to work primarily with African Ankara fabrics because I want to show that beauty in the textiles from West Africa, mainly Ghana which is my ancestral country, and I want to give a fresh face to these traditional prints in styles and silhouettes that are modern, fun, creative and now.”
Describing her fashion brand as ‘modern, chic and feminine’, Addai decided right from the start that Kaela Kay clothing would be manufactured in Canada.
Most of the fabrics are imported from Ghana where she spent her first three years before moving to Amsterdam where she lived for four years prior to coming to Canada.
“Though I am representing my culture and heritage through the prints, I want to make sure in terms of production that I am supporting the Canadian economy also because I am a proud Canadian,” she said. “I have known the three seamstresses that have worked for me for over 10 years. I trust them in terms of their eyes, cutting and sewing.”
Some celebrities who have worn Kaela Kay’s outfits include CityLine lifestyle magazine host Tracy Moore, American actresses Teyonah Parris and Jean ‘Busy’ Philipps and former Uber Chief Brand Manager Bozoma Saint John.
Last year, Addai opened a flagship retail store -- Kaela Kay Fashion Boutique & Design Studio – at 857 Wilson Ave.
“This space is my answer to many of my consumer needs,” she noted. “It’s a place where customers can touch and feel the fabrics, try on the clothes, get sizing right, have shopping parties and private shopping experiences and feel creative energy to express their personal style.”
The store’s product line also includes cushions for home décor, handbags, head wraps and matching collar pieces.
Since quitting her job three years ago, sales have increased by 60 per cent and what started as a ‘side hustle’ has grown to a comfortable six-figures in annual sales without the support of investors. Purchases can also be made through her online store at www.kaelakay.com.
Winner of the African Fashion Week Toronto Female Designer of the Year Award in 2013, 2014 and 2019 and the ByBlacks.com Best Black Canadian Fashion Designer People’s Choice Award in 2018 and 2019, Addai’s business was one of six featured in the Startup and Slay digital video series showcasing Canadian companies founded by diverse women.
Catherine Addai proudly displays the 2019 African Fashion Week Toronto Female Designer of the Year Award (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
Produced by How She Hustles founder Emily Mills, the special project – which celebrated Small Business Week last October – was sponsored by CIBC in partnership with Futurpreneur Canada and Ryerson University.
Mills said Addai was one of the project anchors.
“We wanted someone with a really strong brand who could really show how their business has evolved,” said the former CBC Senior Communications Officer who left the national broadcaster in February 2018 to become an entrepreneur. “This is someone who had a dream of being her own boss. This is the type of story we wanted to show people. We wanted them to know that success doesn’t happen overnight and it takes a lot of planning, sacrifice and long-term vision.”
There were over 100 story submissions from 30 communities across Canada.
“Some of the things we were looking for were stories that would inspire other diverse women entrepreneurs, demonstrate how their business had scaled and how whatever stories they had for their business was going to bring something unique to the series,” said Mills who was named to WXN’s Top 100 Canada’s Most Powerful Women’s list in the inaugural 2018 Mercedes-Benz Emerging Leaders category.
The six three-minute videos were shot in four weeks in Ontario, Nova Scotia and British Columbia by sisters’ Terri and Leslie Bryan who are of Antiguan heritage. They launched Artists Touch Productions in 2006.
Sisters Terri & Leslie Bryan (Photo by Ron Fanfair)
“I watched these two young women work together with such passion on a previous project,” added Mills who, in 2017, created ‘HERstory in Black’ which was a digital photo series celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation. “Not only was I confident they could do the videos, but I was excited about them understanding the entrepreneurs because they are entrepreneurs themselves. They had a short time frame to do the work and they just blew it out of the water. It was a thrill working with them and the rest of the team.”
A total of 23 women of colour worked on the production of the videos.
