For founder Jennifer St. John, the Marnie & Michael brand has always been more than just Canadian-made products.
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For founder Jennifer St. Jean, the brand Marnie and Michael has always been more than just made in Canada products.
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Witnessing the effects of mental health struggles firsthand, she wanted to start a business that could give back and raise awareness for mental health initiatives. Offering handcrafted backpacks, tote bags, diary covers and more, the company donates a portion of its sales to mental health organizations.
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We caught up with St. Jean to find out more:
Q: For those who don’t know, what is Marnie & Michael?
A: Marnie & Michael is a Canadian-made fashion clothing brand with mental health benefits.
Q: What makes it unique?
A: We are 100% Canadian. Each design is sketched and developed in our Georgian Bay studio, produced in Ontario, and shipped from our office. When we say locally made, we mean it. We are proponents of slow fashion, low inventory and a zero waste policy. Because of (my) unique voice and my experience of having a loved one with mental illness, we are strong advocates for honest conversations about mental health. We fundraise for mental health organizations and services with every purchase, and we continually share mental health resources and information with our community.
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Q: Who is the target customer?
A: Our savvy and discerning target customers value quality over quantity, support local Canadian brands and seek timeless fashion pieces for longevity.
Q: What more can you share about how the brand supports mental health?
A: We partner with organizations throughout the year during our peak selling seasons to raise awareness and funds for their work. We promote organizations and services throughout the year with our weekly blogs and also on our website. We also use our weekly blogs to regularly talk about mental health – from advice on how to handle a stressful work day, to personal journal entries from myself and my mother about our experiences with mental health. We’ve also published a mini memoir/guided journal with these entries, and we’re giving away a copy of this book with every bag purchase to help illustrate the need for honest conversations about mental illness.
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Q: Is there a “hero” design in the line?
A: From our 2021 line, our “hero” was definitely the Corie Crossbody bag. And from the Resilience 2022 line, the “hero” is the Mady Sling backpack.
Q: What is the price range of the products?
A: $100 to $500.
Q: And where can people view them?
A: There is a list of retailers on our website Marnieandmichael.com and they can also buy online through our site.
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