The new Canadian label making mental health a wearable issue

Today is Bell Let’s Talk day, but for some the conversation surrounding mental health is a daily reality. New Brunswick-natives Kyle MacNevin and Kayley Reed launched Wear Your Label, a clothing and accessories line promoting mental health awareness, in 2014, and since then their cool gender-neutral text-y tees (hello emojis) have been generating a whole lot of buzz. New York Fashion Week? Check (they debuted their collection on the spring 2016 runways). Recognized by the Canadian Mental Health Association? Yup. It’s been a whirlwind of firsts for MacNevin and Reed, but considering they both live with mental illness their true success lies in the meaningful message behind their label. Communication. “Kayley and I met while volunteering for a mental health organization in New Brunswick, and began to share our personal stories with one another, says Kyle MacNevin. “We bonded over our similar struggles and interests—mental health and fashion.” It was only a matter of time before the light bulb went off and WYL began casting its incandescent glow across North America.

This fall, the designers were chosen to join the Joe Fresh Centre for Fashion Innovation (in partnership with Ryerson University), a Toronto-based business incubator that fosters the growth of start-up companies in sectors like fashion, beauty and tech. As a result, MacNevin left New Brunswick’s familiar embrace and moved to The Six. “It was a big leap, as someone who lives with Anxiety and ADHD it was very stressful,” he says. “I was fortunate to build some very strong relationships early on to help me adapt to the city.” These days, he’s rocking one of the label’s newest tees, emblazoned with the words Anxious But Courageous. “It’s usually how I feel on any given day,” he says. A modern day Superhero—no cape required.