This year, we’ve partnered up with Destination TO to bring their holiday activation to life. We are running our pop-up, Shop the Block, at Stackt Market, in the heart of Toronto. “We’re so excited to be popping up this holiday season in our Toronto! We’ve curated a diverse assortment of brands from different neighbourhoods of Toronto. From home decor to holiday gifts to the newest in fashion, beauty, and jewelry we have something for the locals and tourists alike!” says Editor-in-Chief of STYLE Canada, Elise Gasbarrino.
Shop the Block will feature goods from local Toronto businesses. Our Shop the Block: Behind the Brands series will take a deeper look at the founders of our participating vendors and their stories. This article features SOMA The Brand
Stephanie Karellas; Founder of SOMA The Brand
Website: www.somathebrand.com
Instagram: @somathebrand
Source: SOMA
SC: Tell us a bit about yourself!
SK: My name is Stephanie Karellas. I am the owner and lead hairstylist of two hair salons in the GTA (Kroma
Salon) and now the founder of SOMA, a self-care brand. I’ve been in the hair industry since I was 16
years old and have always been such a huge fanatic of all things beauty and fashion. I realized at quite a
young age that I wanted to be part of this industry, helping people feel beautiful, and share my
knowledge and experience with up and coming artists through education and weekly training.
Source: SOMA The Brand
SC: Tell us the story behind your brand!
SK: As I mentioned, beauty and fashion were calling my name from a young age. With that in mind, I knew I
had to open my own salon space to grow myself and the brand I always envisioned. From there, my goal
was to show other like minded stylists (who shared the same passion for hair) what we are capable of as
beauty professionals today. During this experience, I was confronted with many beauty related concerns
that I knew I could find solutions to with a little determination. That’s when SOMA was born. SOMA is a
self-care brand that is revolutionizing the beauty industry. Our first product focus was a Vitamin C Infused
Shower Filter that has the ability to enhance and rejuvenate your hair and skin from the moment you use
it. Where was it inspired? Right in my salon.
Source: SOMA The Brand
SC: What inspires you?
SK: The people I work with everyday inspire me most. We are growing together and that truly means
everything to me.
SC: What does 2022 hold for you?
SK: After opening a second salon this year, the focus in 2023 is to grow our brands and continue to educate
people on the effects of hard water and how important it is to use quality products combined with clean
shower water as they both go hand in hand. Without these essentials in mind there is not a lot we can do
as professionals to prolong healthy locks and protect your salon investment, which I also like to call your
“biggest accessory,” YOUR HAIR.
Source: SOMA The Brand
SC: And lastly, where’s your favourite spot to vacation?
SK: It sounds biased because I am Greek, but – my favourite place to vacation is most definitely Greece. You
can find me there any chance I can get!
Find SOMA The Brand at our pop-up happening at Stackt Market in Toronto, at 28 Bathurst Street Unit 5-108! We are open Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm from November 29th to December 11th! For more information, visit style.ca/events
