Geeky Canadian Businesses that will add your fav fandoms to your wardrobe!
The holidays are coming up, so this is the third instalment of our "Take My Credits" series, where we bring you some Canadian shops where you can get some geeky gifts.
Daisy Scrunchies
A female & POC-owned business based out of Toronto, Ontario, Daisy Scrunchies was created in 2020 as Daisy Bui took up sewing as a hobby. Her focus is on providing and creating unique hair accessories such as claw clips and hand-sewn scrunchies. She currently offers over 300 different colours on her website, continuously striving to create a wide variety of options, such as colourful, floral, and plain prints, so that there’s something for everyone. One of the geeky designs Daisy Scrunchies has to offer is the “Baby Yoda'' scrunchie which is inspired by The Mandalorin! It is a handmade fabric scrunchie that is part of the collection which launched on “May the Fourth” (Star Wars Day). The collection includes 50+ other Star Wars-inspired scrunchies and claw clips which are meant to resemble the colours of the lightsabers. Daisy Scrunchies ships globally so regardless of where you are, be sure to check out what she has to offer now.
Knock Thrice
Norah Galea, owner and creator of Knock Thrice Inc, is a fibre and embroidery artist currently working out of Montreal, Canada. She finished a BFA at OCAD University in 2021, and started embroidery to pass the time during the early pandemic. Finding a thriving community online through social media, she began selling her work and collaborating with fellow artists and creators. Inspired by folklore, magic, nature, and whimsy, her work focuses on things that bring her and others joy. She works from her home studio with her partner and two cats, Olive and Francis, and hopes to expand the brand and business in the upcoming years.
Mad Unicorn Studios
Mad Unicorn Studios is based in Ontario, Canada where they design, ship, and mail to their customers around the world. They’re a magical shop that predominantly creates wizard-inspired enamel pins, and they’ve recently been exploring other products and fandoms like beret hats and plant-inspired hair clips, all of which can be found on their website. Their goal is to design wearable fandom goods that match their aesthetic, as they’ve been unable to find it anywhere else. You can support them by joining their Patreon club where they have a monthly subscription for enamel pins. By joining their Patreon, you’ll have your voice heard as they work closely with members to inspire the design and creation of their products.
Nimbus Designs
Nimbus Designs was founded in November of 2019 by Sophie, a French-Canadian graphic designer who wished to explore their creative side within fandom spaces. After starting her business, she began creating products that brought her closer to her favourite fandoms. Sophie is a big supporter of EQUALITY, and over the last year, she has started donating to help different charities and foundations, such as the Trevor Project. Her goal is to be able to donate more in the future and give back to those who need help and support. Nimbus Designs will be expanding the products offered in 2023, going from only enamel pins, stickers, and jewellery to more wearable items such as ITA Bags (for displaying pins), scrunchies, and decorative goodies. You can find Sophie on Instagram, Tiktok, and PopshopLive, drawing whenever she can.
Order of Chaos Pins
Order of Chaos Pins was created by Gillian as a way for her to collect pins for the fandoms she couldn’t find merch for. Her goal is to try to hit on underrepresented fandoms as well as her own personal favourites. Some fandoms she’s created for include: The Lunar Chronicles, Throne of Glass, The Riorverse, Shade of Magic Series, The Folk of the Air, Six of Crows, The Sands of Arawiya, and more! She strives to design pins she would want to collect and hopes that others love them as much as she does. She designs and draws about 95% of her work but has done collaborations in the past. In addition to her pins, she also designs earrings, canvas pouches, bookmarks, and more that you can check out on her Etsy. She’s recently expanded her product line to include seasonal book boxes, of which she’s done two so far: an adult valentine/smut box and a young adult Halloween box.
PinCultureCo.
After spending a lifetime in love with Star Wars, Graphic Designer Matt started his pin business, PinCultureCo., in 2018 which allows him to creatively explore his passion for the Star Wars fandom. He has since made over 100 different pin designs, and a selection of vinyl stickers, that have been purchased by fans across the globe! Check out PinCultureCo.'s Instagram now!
Valkyrie Custom Wear
Founded in 2016 by seamstress Megan Murray, Valkyrie Custom Wear was created as an outlet for her creative passion and cosplaying. What began as a way to justify making more fantasy costumes to keep for herself at the time, is now an expanding business based in Kitchener-Waterloo. You can find dresses, cloaks, and more in Murray’s shop, most of which are made from wool–something already heavily used in her pieces–as well as linen and cotton in her lighter weight items. Future material sourcing will be looking into silk, Tencel, and bamboo fabric options as well to provide more sustainable and natural fibre options.
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