KALOS Couture

By Candice Smiley

There was a common thread woven through all of the stories I was able to interview for this edition. The desire to own a store or start a business with no clear cut direction; only simple and pure desire. It was fascinating! I’m so blessed to share the stories with you here.

Cathy Evans worked as a University of Alberta Administrator for over 17 years. It was a leadership position that she loved… or thought she did.

“It was always in the back of my mind,” she says. “If I could, I would love to own a little store.”

I can hear the nostalgia enter her voice. “I’d love to have the conversations, build relationships and be a part of the community.” I smile at this point.

Cathy took a course from the Anderson Career Training Institute which she says, “helped a lot!” She started her career in Career and Image Coaching and for two years, was happy. She was working with a coach to get more speaking opportunities, to further grow her business, when the pandemic hit and everything ground to a halt. “I had thought to help other women, using my experience in human resources, to help them start their own businesses.” It was a good idea, but the change in the way she could meet with clients and the way clients were responding, left her twiddling her thumbs and wondering what to do next.

“I had no idea what to do next,” she says. Then an idea came to her. What if I designed clothing? She had a history of fashion, loved clothing and style… She laughs, “I had spent good money on fashion too!” It seemed like a great shift in direction. Cathy even had some experience working as a model for Tina Mac Modelling and had been the first plus sized model in Edmonton working various fashion shows. “Fashion had always been a thing for me,” she says.

The challenge was this. “Women want to touch, feel and try something before they buy it,” she says. I find myself nodding. This is true.

Then something serendipitous happened. While out on a drive with her husband to Onoway, Cathy saw a “for rent” sign. She peeked at the space through the windows. “It’s perfect!” she thought. A quick call to the owner revealed that he was on his way into

It was an easy and simple decision. “Will you rent this to me?” The agreement was made with an old-fashioned gentleman’s agreement. Now to fill it!

“I had met so many wonderful women,” she said; connections from the Christmas Market she coordinated at the Seniors Center in Alberta Beach. “A couple really stood out for me,” she said. And from then on, the calls and vendors just, “fell into place.”

With a short timeline to open, Cathy tells me with awe in her voice, that she didn’t encounter any significant challenges or obstacles. She decided first, of course, to put her own designs in the store. “Second,” she says, “I will fill my store with things I love!”

I smile. “Shoes, purses, scarves…” her voice trails off. Yup, me too, I thought. She then launches into detailed and personal accounts of some of the things featured in her store. I included the links here…

• Yotta Imagine • Diana Krah - Watercolor artist

• Susan with Suzie Q crochet in Alberta Beach

• Linda Krysta with Purses - Krysta Kreations • Sally’s Pottery, Main Street Mud

• Judi with Corner Mountain Soap

Corner Mountain Soaps

She pauses here, “.. with Judi and her soaps?”, I listen a little more intently as she shares her personal story with me. “they didn’t know they could do this. They didn’t know that after years of doing what they had to, that they had this kind of creative energy and potential within them! I am so blessed to see their drive and motivation”.

It is clear to me that Cathy loves to support other women, and I really, really love that.

We are wrapping up the call and I ask Cathy if there is anything else she would like to share with me. “ I wanted a little boutique so that no one has to travel far and can get amazing items. This is my why and my purpose. There has been confirmation and re-confirmation of why I want to do this and… it feels so good!” I smile. “Plus,” she says, “I am having fun.”

I ask her to tell me about the name. “Kalos”, she says, “it is Greek for beautiful inside and out”,

A reminder from an amazing bucket list trip that she and her husband took. She says, “you can’t miss us when you come to visit. We have Diana Krah art painted right on the door, so, don’t let the ”Little Door” fool you, open the door and come inside.”

Clearly Magic. Clearly Serendipity. Clearly Worth The Visit.

(780) 915-4486 4917 50 St, Onoway

Cathy Evans - Kalos Couture