Comfort, luxury, design, and sustainability are common threads running throughout the Nimmo Bay experience and our new guest robes, designed and created by Kayla Brazier of Miel, are no exception!
“It is a dream for me to work with a fellow eco-conscious business that is so unique and special. When we designed the Nimmo Bay robes, no sacrifices were made. We wanted not only style but unparalleled comfort, warmth, and of course only the best in natural fabrics.”
Nimmo Bay’s new robes are based on Kayla’s original Miel robe design, which has been meticulously perfected and loved by customers. The Nimmo robes, however, boast a longer length, longer sleeves and a big cozy hood to lock in warmth, as well as a second layer of fabric. The outer shell is made from a gorgeous, heavy woven hemp, while the inner layer is made from a fluffy, baby soft cotton double gauze. The combination of these two fabrics creates the perfect weight – heavy enough to insulate and fall comfortingly over your body, while still allowing the robes to be breathable!
“I am incredibly proud of these one-of-a-kind pieces,” comments Kayla. “You won’t find another resort with robes of this quality and design detail. I thrill in imagining the guests that will enjoy these robes for years to come.”
Q & A With Kayla Brazier
When did you start your business?
I launched Miel in the summer of 2018 on a whim. I had been sewing for another local clothing company for a few months and was incredibly inspired by the work I was doing. I had so many ideas that I wanted to execute and the entrepreneurial spirit that I’ve always had took hold. It didn’t take long for Miel to become my full-time gig. The launch was met with a lot of enthusiasm, the demand was high, and I was really enjoying myself, so I took the plunge and was fully dedicated to the business in just a few months’ time.
Can you describe your ‘convertible loungewear line’ idea?
Miel was created out of my desire to bring comfort and style together. I had spent too many years wandering about in uncomfortable clothing for the sake of style, and I found that many other women were having the same experience. So, I aimed to create a ‘convertible loungewear line’ with easy pieces that transitioned effortlessly from cozy, at-home wear out onto the street. I am endlessly inspired by the power and beauty of women – the female body and form, the female energy – and I wanted to honour that and gift women with the comfort and beauty we deserve through the clothing I design.
Kayla Explains Her Top Business Priorities:
My biggest priority, when deciding how the line would be made, was to have a low environmental impact…
I had avoided fully stepping onto the fashion and textiles scene for many years because I perceived an incredible lack of sustainability and morality in the industry as a whole. But when I moved to Victoria and began meeting makers in the world of sustainable fashion, I made some big realizations.
First ~ I realized that fashion is an incredibly important tool in self-expression. It is beauty in motion, practical art.
Second ~ I realized that this beauty could be achieved without using the conventional manufacturing methods that make the fashion industry the worlds 2nd biggest polluter, after oil.
This terrible fact is down to the use of synthetic fabrics. When they are washed, fabrics made of plastic fibres such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, and spandex slough off tiny particles called micro-plastics. The micro-plastics travel from our washing machines into our plumbing systems, eventually making their way into our natural water systems – freshwater and saltwater bodies. Here they collect, making up 85% of total human-made debris on shorelines, in invisible yet deadly masses. Marine animals then consume these particles, effectively poisoning their systems and therefore the entire food chain, as these toxic particles have the ability to bio-accumulate in animal tissues. These poisonous plastics end up in human bodies in alarmingly high concentrations.
Add to this the fact that the manufacturing of synthetic fibres emits twice as much CO2 into the atmosphere as the manufacturing of natural fibres, and you’ve got a pretty big problem. Hence, why Miel clothing is made exclusively from natural fibres. Most of our pieces are made from linen, but we also often use hemp and cotton (as in the Nimmo Bay robes) and occasionally, wool and silk.
My second priority was to ensure that the making of Miel garments was fair and did not bring harm to anyone involved in the manufacturing process…
In the fast-fashion world, large factories are often recruited to pump out large quantities of product for as cheap as possible. Many fast-fashion brands outsource their cutting and sewing to developing countries, where workers are paid wages that they simply cannot survive comfortably on and are forced to work in conditions that are not properly monitored. Outsourcing this work leaves the people who are doing it faceless and nameless, allowing the owners and designers of the company to ignore the impact these methods have. That is why Miel is made exclusively in B.C. (Victoria and Vancouver) whereas the business owner, I can ensure that all the hands involved in making Miel are paid a fair wage and are working in safe and enjoyable conditions.
“In fact, most of my made-to-order pieces are sewn with my own two hands!”