Kara & Jessie PARK – Promoting Artists / Redefining Kulture
What do you make / sell? Tell us about yo’ self.
PARK is a Calgary based, primarily not-for-profit organization that works to promote, educate, and build business for western Canadian creative entrepreneurs, with a focus on fashion designers, but including artists, musicians, and culinary artists as well. We host several events throughout the year to accomplish this, including our upcoming PARKSHOW, a combination of a fashion show, consumer market, and business to business trade show that redefines how business owners and customers interact. We are hosting our next event, PARKSHOW, on May 26-28, which includes two full fashion shows, a grass-roots business to business trade show, and a public market.
How long have you had your business?
9 years
How did you get started?
My co-founder, Jessie Li, and I met while attending University of Calgary and taking salsa dance lessons together. We had quite a few friends in various creative industries who were forced to leave Calgary to find any sort of success. We decided to host our first PARKSALE outdoor market on the University grounds in 2008 as a means of giving these artists and designers some exposure. From there, PARK grew to encompass educational forums, fashion shows, and indoor pop-up shops, and now includes a trade show component, and we continue to grow to this day! Later this year we will be opening an online shop and a physical store in Edmonton’s Londonderry Mall.
Who or what inspires your work?
The designers and artists we work with inspire and drive us. They are the reasons we are doing what we do.
What do you dream for your business in the future?
Our dream is to take PARK across Canada. There are so many opportunities to unite the creative industries across our nation!
What’s your favourite social media platform and why?
Personally, I don’t use a lot of social media, but for PARK it would undoubtedly be Instagram. We work in a very visual field, and our engagement is so great on Instagram, and we have a great team working to make our feed look incredible!
How do you pick yourself up when things go wrong?
I remind myself that every failure is a lesson learned, and that there is really nowhere to go but forward.
What’s one thing no one knows about you? Give us an interesting fact!
Well one of my worst kept secrets is that I have a degree in biomedical engineering, which I was obtaining when I met Jessie and started PARK. but PARK and fashion took over my life, and I have no regrets!
If you could have any super power what would it be?
The ability to not need sleep!
What are your social media handles?
@ourparkonline:
IG: @ourparkonline
TWITTER: @ourparkonline
FACEBOOK; https://www.facebook.com/ourPARKonline/
IG: @ourparkonline
TWITTER: @ourparkonline
FACEBOOK; https://www.facebook.com/ourPARKonline/
Where can we find your stuff?
[email protected] for all things PARK, and handsomecollateral.com for all things styling!