In Focus | Cindy Nyilas

Meet Cindy! She owns MonnoM Artwear, a quality clothing line handmade here in the Okanagan!

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I am originally from Ontario. I relocated to the Okanagan 17 years ago.

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
My favourite person to be with is my partner J Clark. We work, live and play together. I am at my freest, most authentic with him.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
Our favourite place to shop in Kelowna is the Kelowna Farmers Market. Knowing who grew our food or who made my jewelry, soap or soup is important to us.

Describe yourself in one word.
Focused.

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
I would love to take a trip to Borneo to volunteer working with orphaned orangutans. There is also a textile show in New York going on.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
Biking on the many trails or kayaking.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
I spent weeks working to tame a seemingly unwell feral cat in an attempt to acclimatize him to humans and hopefully help him eventually find a better situation in life. I spent hours outside calmly working with him. He turned out to be our neighbours’ pregnant cat.

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
There have been so many inspirational people, places and things… so hard to name a top one! When I was a little younger I was a bit of a wanderer. I travelled to so many wonderful places over the years. Backpacking solo in many countries really helped to define me, shape my worldview and inspire my love of fashion and style.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
As a very young child my family rescued two orphaned raccoons whose mother had been killed by a car. We were heading to camp for the summer so took ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ with us. They stayed with us and we cared for them the entire summer where we were camping. As a kid, sleeping with a raccoon on your head is just plain fun! Although I was only maybe 4 at the time, Bonnie and Clyde sparked my interest in wildlife rescue.

Where do you volunteer or give back to the community?
We care deeply about animals and have fostered and tried to provide a healing space for many creatures over the years.



If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
For humans to respectfully put ourselves in line with nature and our environment and not on top of it.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
On the lake paddling.

Where would you like to see a positive change in Kelowna and why?
Housing costs in Kelowna make living and working here very challenging. I would love to see much more affordable housing.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The people!

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
1.Volunteer with wildlife rehab.
2. RV across Canada.
3. Take a sewing machine repair and maintenance course.

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
Since I was a child, I loved taking machines apart and trying to learn how they worked. I still love disassembling and attempting to fix things. I am probably no better at it than when I was a child, but I find trying to understand how things work fascinating. My industrial machines and I have been through so much together!



How do people connect with you, personally, through social media? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
In person at one of our markets is always my fave. People can also connect through email, Instagram or by phone.
Email: cindy@monnomartwear.com
Website: www.monnomartwear.com
Instagram: monnomartwear

What is the name of your business/organization?
MonnoM Artwear.

Why did you get into this business?
It has been over 30 years since I graduated from fashion design school. The MonnoM Artwear collection is in its 16th year. When I moved to the Okanagan, it was in some ways to embark on a new adventure and take a step back from the garment industry. It didn’t take long before I realized that I had grown a little tired of the garment industry, not of the work. The Okanagan gave me the opportunity to realize it wasn’t a career change that I needed it was a redirection of my creative energy. I now simply design and make clothes for people.



What is the goal of your business?
To create a free-spirited clothing line that is made for real women, not just fashion models. Fit, quality and accountability are at the very backbone of this clothing line. I am a believer that we all have our own unique style and look. MonnoM offers many mix and match designs that you can put together to best show your style.

What has been your biggest struggle either at work or in life?
Balance.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
I believe that we should always look forward. I have made many mistakes over the years, but they helped shape me into who I am today. There were however a few perms back in the 80’s…

What do you always find yourself saying?
I’ll be done in just a minute. If I am in the studio, it will be longer than that!

Tell us your best piece of life advice.
Live your values instead of preaching them.

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
Hope Schwimmer and Vivienne Westwood… but probably not at the same time.

Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
It is so important that we support our local growers and makers. Excessive consumerism comes at a price that is much higher than the money spent or saved. Humans and the planet are too high a price to pay! By knowing who is behind what we eat, wear and consume, we are contributing to our community and our health. Think small and make big changes!



What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Early in my career I took on a musical theatre project for an aids research fundraiser. I was head of wardrobe and designer for a Vaudeville style musical production that was way above and beyond my experience level. My little studio was operating 24 hours a day nearing opening night. I had the entire 2nd year design class from the fashion school on board, and many friends from the industry all volunteering along with me. Somehow we managed to pull off over 150 costumes for this huge production. Opening night was a success and I was very proud to have somehow pulled it off, with a lot of help from my team!

Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
My partner J deserves a huge shout out! He is a multi-talented man, with music and artistry in his very soul. With our work, I think people don't always realize just how much he does. He is indispensable! In the studio he cuts every MonnoM and does all the finishing as well. He not only is amazing at garment production, he quietly works alongside me at all our markets. He works very hard in every aspect of our work and lives, yet often doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves.

My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Morrgen Krys.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE.

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition of the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great. Thank you, Kelowna!