About a year ago, Cory and I decided to start Awoke N' Aware, a brand that betters our planet. After working long days at our 9 to 5s, we come home to our cramped condo in downtown Toronto to dedicate every ounce of free time to develop our clothing brand. A brand that will make a positive impact on the environment and save wildlife. Together, we are creating staple pieces with a purpose.

Cory and I quickly went from strangers to dating, to co-business owners. Every day we work to grow this brand and to grow our relationship all while holding down corporate day jobs.

We launched Awoke N' Aware at the Green Living Show, in March 2019 and the love & support was truly overwhelming! It confirmed our belief that people do LOVE the environment, people do LOVE wildlife, and those people do want to look FINE AF!

Cory and I are so amped about continuing the growth of our brand. We'd love to hear from you and hear what you think about the brand! Reach out 😊

Our first business conversation was on a cruise (...yes we cruised, no we didn’t know how horrible it was for the environment..) when Cory asked me “if you could do anything, what would it be” and I replied with, “well, I want to help save all the animals. But it’s hypocritical cuz I love shopping and I know that destroys the earth”. Cory made it simple.. ”well, let’s do something about it”.

so, we did.

Donating to conservations was the easy part of starting this business. Shopping with the planet in mind was tough. Something always gave: not helping wildlife, sustainability, ethicality, or an outfit we’d never touch with a 10-foot pole (sorry, not sorry). So, we woke up, realized there are other people out there (like you) who also want to look dope, but do it the right way.

Our goal is to make it EASY to give a FUCK!

GETTING PERSONAL

It may sound bizarre (and ironic), but Cory and I developed the concept of Awoke N’ Aware while on a cruise in South America (...yes we cruised, no we didn’t know how horrible it was for the environment.. There is a learning curve for us all ;).

We began researching and realized how much learning we had (and still have) to do about our world and how we treat it.

To be honest, we definitely were not the go-to people for sustainability chats, but if you wanted to talk about wildlife, we’d be on your speed dial (when that was a thing). I was born in a family of animal obsession, from adopting animals in Africa to help fund conservations, to adopting a pet snake who lost his home (and teaching my dog and hedgehog to be friends), I was all in. Cory grew into the animal love a little later. It was on a trip to Thailand that he learned about the poor treatment of elephants and how much lack of knowledge there was.

A ROMANTIC GETAWAY TURNED BUSINESS TRIP

Cory and I were sitting on a deck, watching the waves while talking about the rest of our lives. We both worked corporate jobs, and while we were motivated, we knew it wasn’t what drove us. He asked me “if you could do anything, what would it be” and I replied with, “well, I want to help save all the animals. But it’s hypocritical cuz I love shopping and I know that destroys the earth”. Cory made it simple..”well, let’s do something about it”. So, safe to say, it was our first and last cruise together, and the day we decided to better our planet.

WE WELCOME OUR BABY TO THE WORLD AND NAMED IT AWOKE N’ AWARE

Adopting our first animals with Ol Pejeta and Polar Bears International was the easy part, but shopping with the planet in mind was horrible. Something always gave. It was either not sustainable, not ethical, not helping wildlife, or an outfit we’d never touch with a 10-foot pole (sorry, not sorry). So, we woke up, realized there are other people out there (like you) who also want to look dope, but do it the right way.

Our goal is to make it EASY to give a FUCK!