Sara Jonsdottir is now a fashion and business leader, but that wasn’t in her thoughts when she graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Wilson School of Design in 2016.
“I was the type of person that was going to find a steady job and work for someone else,” she says.
But a project she developed at the Wilson School of Design to create stylish underwear for menstruating women overturned those expectations.
“I’d always used tampons and never questioned it so then I started thinking: why do I use tampons? What is the reason?”
She researched as much as she could about menstruation; the science, the social and cultural aspects, along with fashion and function. There were some similar products on the market but they weren’t fashionable.
“The focus was providing function with a completely sexy style.”
Jonsdottir received great feedback after her project hit the runway at The Show, the fashion show for graduating students at the design school.
“I would get emails from people who had been at the show – friends of classmates and industry people saying ‘hey where can I get your product, I really want to buy it.’ I would be like ‘oh, that wasn’t really a product.’ I made three pieces and it was cool, but it wasn’t a real thing.”
Jonsdottir had a full-time job as a pattern maker, but in 2017 she resurrected her project and launched the brand Revol Girl to sell the locally handmade period underwear online. She received her first order an hour after her website went live. The company grew 500 percent in 2018 and has already surpassed its goal for the first month of 2019.
“People are looking for this kind of product and are wanting this kind of product.”
As Revol Girl started growing, Jonsdottir quit her full-time job and became an employer herself. Currently, there are two KPU alumni on staff, along with an intern from the design school.
“I’m such a fan of KPU. I actually moved here to go to KPU.”
Originally from Iceland, Jonsdottir arrived in Vancouver six years ago – the day before her first day at KPU – knowing the Wilson School of Design was the tool for her to achieve her goals.
“There’s such quality people coming out of the program. They are very skilled and well rounded, with critical thinking skills and an ability to understand how garments are constructed.”
As Revol Girl sets its sights on growing bigger, Jonsdottir has one goal in mind.
“My goal is to make a revolution out of it. We’re here to completely disrupt the menstruation industry.”
The Show is back on April 18at the Wilson School of Design in Richmond. The event showcases emerging apparel designers graduating from the school. Learn more and get your tickets.
Story by Sucheta Singh