Carmina de Young is making her Canadian dream come true, one step at a time. Since graduating from the fashion design program at Fanshawe College in 2009, the Mexican-born Young has been working towards realizing her goal of making the
Carmina de Young fashion label
a household name.
In 2011, Young was designing and sewing custom event wear in her living room. By 2015, she had secured a modest Impact Loan through Goodwill Industries and moved production into the organization’s Centre for Social Enterprise and the Environment on White Oak Road. A year later, she brought her first ready-to-wear collection to the London market—sold through pop-up stores and private shopping events.
Today, the Carmina de Young team includes business advisor, Lina Bowden, and design director, Donald Procunier. The business occupies space on two floors of the social enterprise space, including an office, showroom and large sewing and production studio. And the Carmina de Young label is found in more than 20 boutiques across southwestern Ontario and British Columbia.
Nicole Laidler is a freelance reporter, copywriter and content creator, serving clients in London, Toronto and throughout Southwestern Ontario. She helps people grow their success, one word at a time.