House of Nonie: The Calgary Label You Need To Know Now

You might not have heard of House of Nonie yet, but we expect great things from Nina Kharey’s womenswear line. With Calgary and Vancouver as their headquarters, and Toronto for manufacturing, House of Nonie (all in Italian fabrics) hoists the Canadian flag high in the sky.

Kharey’s line of neutral-coloured separates can be worn for work or weekend. And style insiders like Meghan Markle, Chantal Kreviazuk, and Jessica Mulroney (who wore the Cold Shoulder dress on Instagram recently) are helping to put this CAFA-nominated line (in the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent) on the fashion radar.

While in Calgary for the recent Parkshow runway, we met with Kharey at her new Calgary studio inside the light-filled C Space King Edward co-working hub.

“For my fall collection, I wanted to make something that was feminine but strong, so that women wearing it can go into the world feeling fearless,” says Kharey. “I was really startled with the regression I was seeing around me and inspired by women coming together.”

Sharing her studio with outerwear designer Anneke Forbes has also been a positive experience, the two women can share tips on how to grow their respective businesses. But what’s truly important for Kharey is that her collection, founded in 2008 and relaunched two years ago, stays true to its Canadian roots.

“I’m incredibly proud to be ethically producing in Canada and contributing to this industry here. It’s sad to see how much of it is a struggle when it comes to factories, and also sales.”

With plans to expand into the US market while growing its e-commerce presence, expect to see more of this upstart Canadian label on the scene.