Meet Caroline Constas, A Female Founder In Fashion

It's the days leading up to Montréal Grand Prix and designer Caroline Constas is being fêted the by the luxury Canadian department store, Holt Renfrew, at their annual Grand Prix event.

She enters the party being held at the top floor of the Ritz Carlton, her statuesque framed draped in a long, white, strapless goddess-gown of her own design. Earlier in the day, she posted a photo of herself with her collection's display at the store with a caption that read, "Dreams to come true."

For Constas, this year's Grand Prix event is not only a dream come true, but it's also a homecoming of sorts. Being honored by the department store coincides with the Montréal native's 5th of year in business at the helm of her namesake label.

"I've been dreaming of working with them [Holt Renfrew] for years and years because growing up in Montréal, that was the place you aspired to shop," she says.

As a young fashion brand, to stay in business in a cutthroat industry after 5 years is, indeed, recognition-worthy. Constas, however, has done more than just stay in business—her brand is thriving, and the Holt Renfrew event is an acknowledgment of her success.

Her collection's whimsical-yet-elegant vibe is directly inspired by Constas' upbringing and globetrotting lifestyle, which is marked by life in New York, summers in Greece and inspiration trips to foreign countries.

"It started when I was 8 years old, and I was traveling to Greece every summer to visit family," she says. She is the daughter of a Greek-Lebanese father and an American mother who, through these visits, exposed her to the world from a very young age.

During her childhood travels, she found herself sketching the clothes she wanted to wear on her holidays, and over time she became aware of the keen eye she possessed for spotting trends that crossed borders.

"I was always very focused and aware of fashion and how fashion differed, and how it was similar across different cultures. I was able to see what was overlapping between different countries," she says.

A key factor to her success is that Constas herself is the ultimate muse for her brand—she knows her customer because she is her customer. "I start each season with the question: What do I want to wear that isn't in the market?" she says, admitting she is designing for herself first and foremost, knowing that women like herself will gravitate to what she's offering.

In addition, Constas is regularly featured on her company's social media in her designs and also posts pictures and musings from her personal travels. Images of her wearing her label bring the clothes to life in a way only she can, and the content, as a result, is a physical embodiment of the Caroline Constas brand story. She is undoubtedly one of her company's biggest assets.

In the beginning days of her label, it was this idea of creating clothes for her own personal lifestyle led to the creation of the Lou top, the design that put her name on the map.

Constas had always been searching for cotton shirting in feminine shapes and came up with an off the shoulder silhouette in a blue striped fabric traditionally used for dress shirts. An editor came in to view the collection, snapped a pic of the shirt and posted it to social media, which then led to Oprah's stylist pulling the shirt for a shoot. The next thing she knew, the Lou top was on the cover of O Magazine. "It was absolutely surreal," the designer says of the experience.

Are you Nuts for Nature? If so, this program is for you!

Have you ever wanted to get up close and personal with a bobcat or even a skunk, discover microscopic water animals, build a birdhouse, or learn the art of using binoculars?

Families will have a chance to do all this and more at the Nuts for Nature event taking place at the Carden Recreation Centre on Sunday, June 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event is part of The Couchiching Conservancy’s Passport to Nature, which is a series of free events for those who want to have fun exploring the outdoors, experience new things and learn from experts.

Nuts for Nature is specially designed for kids (of all ages) and their families and features a jam-packed program of over 20 activities ranging from wagon rides and hikes to birdhouse building and hands-on binocular lessons.

"One of the really neat things about this event is the opportunity for kids to get up-close with nature," explains Tom Wilson, one of the organizers. "A highlight for kids is being able to touch animals that have been orphaned, which are brought to the event by Speaking of Wildlife, a wildlife education organization.

"Our water activities are also really popular, where kids get to discover microscopic animals," said Wilson. "And, of course, everyone loves the wagon rides and free ice-cream!"

Nuts for Nature is made possible by the volunteers from The Couchiching Conservancy and Carden Field Naturalists who lead activities, and by generous sponsors, including Lafarge, James Dick Construction, Dufferin Aggregates, The Miller Group, Staples Orillia, Brechin Timber Mart, and Kawartha Dairy.