A Chatelech Secondary School grad is about to showcase her first full line of clothing geared toward the active mom-to-be during Kwantlen Polytechnic University's The Show at the River Rock Theatre in Richmond on April 3.
There will be 32 designers from Kwantlen showcasing their lines at The Show that draws industry professionals from throughout B.C.
Fashion student Cheryl LeBarr, who went by the name Cheryl Matthew while growing up on the Coast, is looking forward to the opportunity to showcase her new line.
"I'm really, really excited. It's been a long time coming. It's been something I've been thinking about since Grade 7 and now it's finally happening so it's delightful and nerve racking all at once," she said.
It was while in a reading class lead by teacher John Lussier at Halfmoon Bay Elementary School that LeBarr was first bitten by the fashion bug.
"We had a class project to study a book called Star Girl and we had to dress up like her. She dressed really crazy and I just really fell in love with putting outfits together," LeBarr said.
That love only grew over the years.
"It was something I loved all through high school. I took all the sewing classes and every year I went to the Kwantlen fashion show on the field trip and it's just something that I always had as an idea," LeBarr said. "Then when it came time to decide what I wanted to do for university, it was the first thing I really wanted to pursue."
She started at Kwantlen in 2008 and next week will graduate with a bachelor of design in fashion and design technology.
Although she has created several looks throughout the last four years, LeBarr said this is her first full line of clothing, and one she takes a lot of pride in.
She came up with the idea for creating functional active maternity wear while spending some time with her sister who was pregnant.
"I watched her go through the developments of being pregnant, and I realized there were a lot of women who, when they're pregnant, don't just stop moving. They keep being active and they're still hiking and camping, and it's really quite safe," LeBarr said.
From that idea Ipsum Outerwear was born, a line that features waterproof pants, sweaters, jackets and other items every active mom-to-be needs.
The line's name holds special meaning for LeBarr.
"It's from a Latin phrase, which means 'know thyself.' So the line is about a really strong woman, who knows her own limits and she knows what she's capable of and it's all about her exploring herself while she is pregnant and pushing her limits," LeBarr said.
She is hopeful the line will be well received at the upcoming show at the River Rock Theatre, and she'd like to find a way to produce the clothing commercially so women everywhere can benefit from her designs.
"I have had a couple of bites from some retailers that might be interested if I am able to produce the line, but for me personally, I think I'd be more interested in working with a company and getting experience in the industry before I pursue my own line. It's really difficult financially to start a fashion business, but if I did have the opportunity to produce it, I would love that," LeBarr said.
