Meet the Core Basics Studio

The Core Basics Studio is owned by Nikki and Sherri. In 2010, they realized that there was a demand from small designers in small batch production, so they wanted to try to fill the gap. Since then, they have been servicing a niche market of fashion designers and entrepreneurs who require full end-to-end production support.

 In 2014, after one of their key manufacturing partners decided to retire, they purchased the assets of the sewing factory and opened their own manufacturing facility located in Scarborough, ON. When they first opened the sewing facility, they started with 7 staff and now they’re up to 13 full time and 4 contract staff – starting out with 4000 garments a month, they’re averaging around 13,000 garments per month now. 

Encircled’s own Angela and Kendra met up with them to discuss how they started their business, their love for the outdoors, and what inspired their business’ name. 

What’s your business named after?   

SHERRI + NIKKI: It’s named after our beloved dogs, who at times you’ll get to meet at the office!   

What do you enjoy most about it?

SHERRI + NIKKI: We’re an extension of our customers and we love helping people achieve their dreams. We’ve seen customers go from 80 pieces to 500-800 pieces, and knowing that we’ve been a part of that feels great. We know how hard it is to start out, so we’re proud to have made a difference. 

Where do you buy your clothes?   

SHERRI + NIKKI: We love to support our customers, so we actually buy a lot of my clothes from them!   

Why do you think we should support Canadian-Made Clothes?  

SHERRI + NIKKI: We appreciate how much work goes into creating a garment. We like that we directly impact our economy in positive ways, either by securing jobs or helping to create new ones. We like that we’re also reducing our carbon footprint, as products made closer to home require much less transportation. We can also rest assured that the people who make the products are treated fairly and worked in safe and sanitary conditions. 

What do you love about working with us?   

SHERRI + NIKKI: We’ve loved working with Kristi from the beginning. She is so ambitious but down to earth and modest. We love that there’s a story behind each Encircled designs - that each piece has a purpose. We love when our clients have an investment in their designs, it makes us proud of what we’re doing.   

Nikki and Sherri are always willing to try anything. They’re extremely flexible and multifaceted and have mastered making a wide-range of products for us, which we love!

That brings us to the end of our Core Basics Studio tour - we hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed exploring their space!

WHAT'S MADE HERE

Interested in learning more about Core Basics Studio, and our values as a slow fashion brand?

 Watch our feature on Global News ⬇️

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