Welcome to ‘Behind the Brand’, a captivating blog series where we unveil the stories and faces behind the diverse brands nestled in our new, permanent location “the edit”, presented by Style Canada, in the picturesque town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Join us as we journey through the heart and soul of each brand, exploring the inspirations, challenges, and triumphs that shape their unique identities. From local artisans to international labels, get ready to discover the vibrant tapestry of creativity, craftsmanship, and passion that defines our curated collection of brands. Stay tuned as we take you behind the scenes and introduce you to the captivating narratives behind each brand, one story at a time.
Meet Meghan from Sol Kyst
IG: @solkyst
photo provided by: Sol Kyst
Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi, I’m Meghan Victoria. I have worked as a professional makeup artist in Toronto for the past 11 years. I have always loved the science behind beauty, and really understanding each individual’s face in a unique and interesting way. I love working with my clients to understand their wants and wishes, while also tuning into their overall essence to create a look that is really custom to them, that compliments their features and lets them feel like their very best self. Although I don’t get to work on set or with clients as much anymore, while I am running my business full time and more, I do still love sharing everything I’ve learned through my career and helping everyday women and makeup lovers through content creation and sharing tutorials, tips and tricks across social media.
Share the story behind your brand.
I created Sol Kyst in 2021 during the pandemic. Really it was a story of my own insecurity and simply not feeling like my inner beauty and outer beauty were aligned. I remember going to the beach with my friend one day. I was feeling cute, I had my swimsuit on, a little cover up … and then the smallest, most unflattering sunglasses. Basically if John Lennon and Harry Potter had a baby… not my vibe. You see, I have a giant head and face, and sunglasses have just never fit me or made me look glamorous and cool like everyone else… well until now! I started having a shame spiral because I couldn’t focus on enjoying the moments I should have been sharing with my friend, as I was so plagued by this insecurity. I felt it was shallow for me to care so much – but I took a moment to give myself grace. If I was wearing jeans that were too big or too small… I would just go get another size. But you couldn’t do that with sunglasses. Sunglasses are made in an extremely standard size and it was at that moment that I decided it was time to disrupt the eyewear industry and create a product for us WIDE FACE BABES!
Recognizing this need was just the first step. I never wanted to simply widen the measurements of basic sunglasses, but instead, to truly hone in on the features of a wider face and come up with a new and thoughtfully crafted design. Focusing on how using the principles of light and shadow, balance and symmetry, and the energy of line work could all be brought together to enhance the jawline and cheekbones. From the beginning I wanted to use my unique perspective as a makeup artist and really focused on intentional design to really create eyewear that truly fit & flattered wide/round and square faces – cheeky girls!
Fast forward almost three years and we now offer a size inclusive range of our Mini, Midi and Wide sizes and styles to our global community – with customers in over 50 countries. I always say “we have brought size inclusivity all over the body, but haven’t brought it to the face – where we look at people every single day.” Such a simple concept but a powerful mission. At SOL Kyst we are here redefining beauty standards, empowering our community, and revolutionising the eyewear industry.
photo provided by: Sol Kyst
What inspires you?
Something I say a lot is that we are a product based – service business. What that really means to me is listening to our community, taking feedback and creating well loved products collaboratively and together. As a long time artist and creative I have non stop wild and interesting ideas I want to implement all the time but as a brand owner I recognize that I am here to serve our collective, create value and really listen and answer the pain points of our community. We spend a lot of time re-iterating designs because we focus on the needs of our customers. We don’t follow trends, we keep our heads down and focus on who we are serving. The finesse and fun for me comes from elevating those shared concepts by using a lot of the principles of design and beauty. The art of shape, texture, balance and proportion is so beautiful to me and when you find that sweet spot combination and bring it all together and create that perfectly complementary design or stunning colour way that moment really lights me on fire!
Where’s your favourite summer vacation spot?
Working in the wedding industry you never have a summer vacation, so I don’t have an exciting answer … I am simple, I just need the water. So the cottage, or camping by a beach. Good friends, good food, good wine and definitely a campfire!
What can we expect from your brand in 2024?
We have so many incredible projects and partnerships lined up this year… and that’s all I can say … for now. But just know that so much colour and fun and fabulous will be coming at you in every direction this summer and we couldn’t be more excited!!
