From Hockey to Fashion – Local Sisters Launch Online Boutique

Article Edited by Jason Setnyk | Submitted Photo

Cornwall, Ontario – Sisters Michaela and Rebecca Dow launched their online clothing boutique – KAD & BEC, just last week.

The girls grew up back and forth between Ottawa and Cornwall and have decided to put their passion for clothing into a business.

Michaela and Rebecca have always been part of a tight-knit family that did everything together while they were growing up. They both attended the Ontario Hockey Academy here in Cornwall and went on to play varsity hockey together at Carleton University. 

Michaela, who oversees operations, now lives permanently in Ottawa, has always loved clothing, and has had a flair for fashion since she was little. Michaela’s long-time goal is to share her passion for apparel and style with others.

“Our focus at KAD & BEC is to stay true to our style and integrity. We want to make sure that our products are things that we would wear ourselves and pieces that we love. The vibe is comfy and stylish; we want to make sure our shoppers can get versatility out of our products that can be worn to dress up or dress down,” Michaela explains.

When Rebecca, who lives in Cornwall, is not (too) busy raising twins and working with children’s aid, she oversees local partnerships and social media. Her one-and-a-half-year-old twins, Finn and Leif, are also in charge of inventory management (unpacking boxes).

It’s a family business, and Rebecca enjoys the opportunity to work with her younger sister Michaela.

“Working with my sister has been great. Although we are sisters and we do still have disagreements, it’s been a pleasure. Even though Michaela is younger, she has always been my fashion inspiration, so it has been fun to see us put our skills and passion together to work towards our goals. As a big sister, I am so proud of the drive and dedication my sister has shown during this process,” said Rebecca

Michaela and Rebecca have dreamed of becoming entrepreneurs, and now their passion is becoming a reality. They were inspired by local boutique Love and Lee Bridal, owned by Kelsey Lee. 

“Michaela and I have always had dreams and aspirations of being girl bosses and putting our passion out there. When we visited Love & Lee for the first time, at my appointment to try on wedding dresses, we fell in love with her boutique. It is so aesthetically pleasing and inviting so obviously it became one of our favourite places to shop. We had been brainstorming for some time how we were going to put our dreams into action and after another stop at Love & Lee, we were so inspired by what she had built that we started on our plan,” Rebecca explained.

“We had some hesitations, but after reading one of Kelsey’s blog posts where she encouraged young women and entrepreneurs to go for it, that’s what we did. Full steam ahead. And I did in fact purchase my wedding dress at Love & Lee. I one hundred percent suggest making an appointment there to start your wedding dress hunt as it will most likely end there,” Rebecca explained,” Rebecca continued.

For now, the girls are focused on selling their favourite clothing online. They plan to expand into home good offerings that allow shoppers to interchange their interior decorations without breaking the bank.

“Our goal has always been to bring our love for fashion to others. Longer-term, we want to expand by offering more of a variety of clothing, accessories, and home goods,” Michaela added.

The clothing boutique, offering comfortable and stylish casual and loungewear, is currently available online at www.kadandbec.com. Also, the girls have plans to open a brick-and-mortar location in the near future. 

The response since opening the store online has been terrific.

“We have had an overwhelming response from our shoppers, we had a giveaway for our launch week, and our shoppers showed up for us with their comments and shares. We’re continuously trying to make improvements for all shoppers to have a great experience on our website,” Michaela responded.

There is an option for free pickup weekly for those living in Cornwall or for a modest fee to have it delivered.

“Currently, we are offering free pickup in Cornwall once a week or a $3 delivery fee within the city limits,” Rebecca concluded.

To learn more about Michaela, Rebecca, and their boutique KAD & BEC, visit them at www.kadandbec.com, on Instagram @kadandbec, or reach out to them directly at [email protected].