Winnipeg brand Kolye TJN basks in Toronto fashion show afterglow

Cue the lights, the sound and … the wool.

Models donned necklaces, hats and bags from Winnipeg-based Kolye TJN as they strutted down a Toronto catwalk last month.

Two weeks later, models showcased the brand’s intricate woolen items on a Winnipeg runway. It wraps up a year of “exponential” growth for the company, by founder Tijen Roshko’s standards.

She sat in her St. Norbert studio Tuesday with business partner Angie Kwon. Behind her, a half-mannequin wore a vest made of interlocking green wool felt pieces. The look debuted at Toronto’s Startup Fashion Week.

Photographs of models papered one of the workspace’s walls. Roshko and Kwan sought diversity — of gender, ethnicity and size — when choosing their runway ambassadors.

“We didn’t know what to expect of the world when they started to see (our) products — are they going to like it or are they going to think we’re crazy?” Kwan recalled.

But between the rumbling applause in Toronto and the positive interactions in Winnipeg, she and Roshko are feeling “a big, huge affirmation.”

Roshko and Kwan started creating Kolye TJN pieces — which use 100 per cent pure, naturally dyed wool felt — during the COVID-19 pandemic. They construct the wearables without sewing, gluing and metal, aside from hypoallergenic backings for earrings.

This year, they applied for Toronto’s Startup Fashion Week, held Oct. 21-25. Kolye TJN was one of 11 ventures accepted, and the only representative from the Prairies.

“We were really proud of it,” Roshko grinned.

She and Kwon compiled their accessories — this collection was ocean-inspired — and flew east for a week of networking, business conferences and, on the final day, a fashion show.

Toronto models had one directive from Roshko: be yourself on stage. They delivered, she said. From spins to dramatic pauses, the show and attire left the crowd cheering.

The pulsing energy made Roshko forget about her injured leg as she trekked the final catwalk, she said. (When she returned to Winnipeg, she learned she’d broken her ankle after stumbling during the trip.)

“It was just amazing with the excitement,” Roshko shared, recalling the event.

Kolye TJN was asked to next showcase its wares in Dubai. Fashion publications including Style Canada highlighted the Manitobans’ work.

Roshko and Kwan brought new insight into business home with them. They’re aiming to forge more relationships with retailers and revamp their marketing strategy.

Currently, Kolye TJN sells pieces on its website, at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Ottawa’s L.A. Pai Gallery.

“I think we’re going to try to insert ourselves deeper into the urban fabric of (Winnipeg),” Kwan said. “(We’ll) try to create more opportunities … where people can come in and experience the products.”

Interacting with customers during the WAG’s Crafted market last weekend proved Kolye TJN’s products take on a greater meaning when touched and seen in person, Kwan stated.

The company was one of 70 in Manitoba with a booth at the market. Models walked the runway at a corresponding fashion show.

“It’s extremely unique. It’s extremely well thought out and well crafted,” Tammy Sutherland, executive director of the Manitoba Craft Council, said of Kolye TJN.

A panel of representatives from the council, WAG and the local art community approved artists to Crafted. Kolye TJN’s uniqueness made the panel’s decision an easy “yes,” Sutherland explained.

“I’m excited to see where they go,” she said, adding she was “thrilled” the brand was spotlighted in Toronto.

Kolye TJN is well suited for cities like Toronto and Montreal because of its metropolitan feel, Sutherland said.

“You feel like a star when you’re wearing it,” she described, noting she drew attention while sporting Kolye TJN in Ottawa. “It’s so bold and so unusual and exciting and beautiful. People just want to come up to you and talk about it.”

Roshko and Kwan plan to hold more pop-up shops and times where the public can visit their studio next year. Both teach at the University of Manitoba: Roshko in the department of interior design; Kwan in both interior and environmental design.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com

Gabrielle Piché
Reporter

Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.

Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.

Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.

Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.