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Reduce, reuse … rewear?

Squamish’s Cooney sisters take environmentally friendly approach to fashion
1527clothes
Funk-tional Fashion Lara and Angela Cooney model some of their wares

What: Leather and Lace Fashion Show

When: Wednesday, July 9

Where: FireRock Lounge at the Westin

Tickets: $5

At first glance, Whistler may not seem like the most fashion-forward place, but right next to the guy clad in spandex shorts and sneakers is a young woman sporting a funky, vibrant dress, while clutching a sleek handbag. Ah, the duality of this small mountain town.

Chances are, that dress, cobbled together from fabrics of an abundance of colours and textures, is one of the creations of Clothes Minded Apparel and Design, a clothing company started by two Squamish sisters.

Angela and Lara Cooney, 23 and 32 years old respectively, are both graduates of the fashion program at George Brown College. Originally from Ontario, the sisters now call the Sea to Sky region home.

Lara moved here about four years ago, and Angela followed last summer. Clothes Minded was born soon after.

“We kind of teamed up together to take on the world!” Angela said with a laugh.

Their clothes are, for the most part, reworked vintage pieces.

“I kind of started just by being tired of my own clothes and kind of cutting them up and making them new,” Angela explained. “We both kind of liked that same style, like taking old clothes and revamping them.”

One of their signature items, legwarmers made from old sweater sleeves, could be spotted slouching around legs through town all winter.

“Sometimes we just rework old clothes, but other times we’ll take a jacket and totally cut it up and make it into a skirt,” Angela said.

They use a wide range of materials to create one-of-a-kind items, and further individualize each piece with silk screening or a splatter of paint.

The basic philosophy behind Clothes Minded is pretty simple: make functional, fashionable clothes for real people. And they want to be as environmentally friendly as possible, in the process.

“We really like to recycle, being in the kind of world that we live in,” Angela added. “…We try to use every little bit of the reworked clothes that we make into something.”

But they don’t just work with vintage materials. They also have a line of bras and panties, with items like booty shorts that they create from bright lace.

One thing is clear — whether they’re using old fabrics or new, these creative souls have a lot of fun with their work.

Angela worked as a server before she started the business with Lara.

“I’d rather spend my time sewing and making awesome stuff than sitting behind the bar or taking orders or serving drinks,” she added.

Now, she’s doing something she loves with someone she loves.

Their other sister, Heather, helps to promote their line, and has recently taken on the challenge of organizing their fashion show at the FireRock Lounge at the Westin on Wednesday, July 9.

The upcoming show will feature pieces of their lingerie line alongside some of their funky, comfortable, easy-to-wear items.

They hope the show will encourage locals to come check out what Clothes Minded has to offer.

“We, as well, wanted to get more into the scene just because it’s harder to sell at stores, so its cool to have an opportunity to show a lot of people what we do,” Angela added.

Clothes Minded has been around for over a year now, and business is going strong. So far, the sisters have focused on integrating themselves into the festival circuit around the province, selling their wares at Bizarre Bazaar, Shambhala Music Festival, and most recently, Tall Ships in Victoria, to name a few. And if you venture into the Onatah Coffee Shop in Squamish, you’ll see some of their pieces on display.

But starting a clothing line in the Sea to Sky corridor hasn’t been without its challenges.

“The fashion industry is always changing with every new fad or trend. You have to find your target market and just believe in what you’re making and rock it,” Angela said. “In life you have to rise to the challenge and you never know when opportunity will find you. So it’s best to just always give it your all and something good will always come of your endeavours.”

Now, they’re looking for ways to get their items into local stores, and with people from as far away as Sooke expressing interest in their line, they’re turning to the Internet, working to get a comprehensive website up and running so they can expand and offer their designs in other communities, as well.

“We’re really hoping to get our stuff online, because that’s the way the world is going, that’s the direction things are headed in.”