Catherine Addai facts for kids

Catherine Addai is a Ghanaian-Canadian fashion designer. She is well-known for starting her own women's clothing brand called Kaela Kay.

Starting a Fashion Brand

Catherine Addai first studied health informatics at university. She worked as a consultant, helping with data and decisions, while also starting her fashion line. In 2013, she launched her brand, Kaela Kay, named after one of her daughters. This happened while she was on maternity leave.

When she first started, Catherine worked from her basement in Mississauga, Canada. She didn't have formal training in fashion design. So, she hired skilled seamstresses from Toronto to help her learn the craft. In 2017, she decided to focus completely on her brand and left her consulting job.

In 2019, Catherine opened her first physical store in North York. Her designs often use Ankara fabric. This is a special West African cotton fabric known for its bright colors and patterns. At first, some people were not used to her unique designs. However, famous people like Busy Philipps and Tracy Moore have worn her clothes. This helped her designs become popular with many more people.

Also in 2019, Catherine Addai was featured in a digital video series. She was one of six Canadian women entrepreneurs highlighted in the series called Startup and Slay.

Awards and Recognition

Catherine Addai has received several awards for her work. In 2018, she won the People's Choice Award for Fashion Designer of the Year from ByBlacks.com. She has also been named the African Fashion Industry Awards Ladies Wear Designer of the Year three different times.

About Catherine Addai

Catherine Addai was born in Ghana. She lived in Amsterdam until she was three years old. Then, when she was seven, her family moved to Canada. Today, she lives in Toronto. She is married and has three young children.