Ezzy Lynn: Saving Animals One Scrunchie At a Time
Best known for their stylish scrunchies and hair accessories, Ezzy Lynn is a Canadian fashion and accessory brand that supports global endangered species by donating proceeds from each item sold to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). When I first chatted with Ezzy Lynn founders Sonja, Samantha, and Bianca in 2014, they had made 16 animal adoptions. Now, they are at nearly 150! Find out how these three powerful entrepreneurs are continuing to change the fashion world and save endangered species, one scrunchie at a time.
For our readers who are new to Ezzy Lynn, can you please tell us a little bit about your brand? How did it begin, and where did the idea come from?
Ezzy Lynn is a lifestyle brand of trendsetting apparel and accessories. All products are handcrafted from vegan and upcycled materials. Each item represents a unique endangered animal that we adopt through WWF-Canada with the proceeds of each sale.
We are three young and entrepreneurial new graduates from Western University who met at our campus entrepreneurship center. After discovering how few women were in the startup space at that time, we knew we had to start something together.
Of course we have to ask: how many animal adoptions have you made to date?
We’re about to make our 150th animal adoption since launching the brand in May 2014.
What sets your products apart from other fashion and accessory lines?
Naming every product after a species at risk is definitely our biggest differentiator from other brands; however, the way we make our scrunchies is pretty cool too. We partner with vintage stores in Toronto who have scrap fabrics that would normally be thrown into landfills. We treat and save the fabrics, upcycling them into beautiful scrunchies that save animals. This means that our premium vintage scrunchies come in small runs, we’ll usually make less than 10 of each style and then they’re gone forever!
For our classic scrunchies, and all of our apparel, we make sure the fabrics we are working with are vegan.
Do you each have a favourite Ezzy Lynn scrunchie or product?
SONJA: My favourite Ezzy Lynn product is the Grey Wolf Set. It’s totally my style and fits like no other crop top I’ve worn before! It’s made from a high quality Ponte material, which gives it a super sophisticated and structured feel. It can be worn dressed up and dressed down, with a pair of over the knee boots or with open toe sandals. I also love the compliments I get when wearing it!
BIA: My favorite scrunchie is the bumblebee scrunchie, it’s a little bit of sunshine and a little bit of fall chic. I love all our colors, but for me the perfect scrunchie is our minis, they are just the perfect size for a girl like me, who has straight, thin hair.
For our clothing line, it will have to be the polar bear top; it’s sexy and cute. Perfect for the summer, but can totally be worn as a top with layers. I love the fact that I can wear it without a bra and still feel super secure. The mesh and structure of material l hold everything, letting me feel ready for a night on the dance floor!
SAM: I’m obsessed with our Black Jaguar crop top. When I wear it out I feel sexy but still so on-trend. I love wearing a black chain underneath the mesh for an added effect. For the scrunchies, the Grey Wolf makes me so proud. It’s been our best seller since we came up with the idea to introduce a tweed scrunchie. I haven’t seen another brand offering tweed, so when I see girls rocking on I feel bliss.
You definitely have a lot of fans in Sudbury. Where is the furthest place you have heard from and have shipped Ezzy Lynn products to?
London, UK <3
How does it feel to be three young Canadian entrepreneurs making such an impact in the business world, fashion world, and as philanthropists?
It feels surreal. It’s a true blessing to be doing what you love with your friends. Since day one, it was important to us to inspire women to start their own business, find their passion, and be motivated by the impact and opportunity, not profit. That’s what we did and what we continue to embody every day with Ezzy Lynn. We also feel pressured with the task to prove you can do it with a social enterprise in Canada. That burden certainly keeps us on our toes ensuring we are always aware of what we can improve, and how we can become better entrepreneurs and businesswomen in general. It has been very humbling to see the amount of support and ecosystems that exist in Canada to ensure that businesses succeed.
Do you have any surprises in store for 2016? How do you see Ezzy Lynn growing and changing over the next year?
We always have surprises in store; we love surprises! We don’t want to give away any secrets, so you will have to stay tuned 🙂 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat @ezzylynn to see what’s coming in 2016!
Adriana Nicolucci
Adriana Nicolucci is a Communications and Film Production graduate, fashion enthusiast, and patterned sock collector. She’s often spotted munching on the Eenie Meenie Grilled Zucchini Pizza at the Buddha. Danny Ocean is her spirit animal, except she’s planning a heist to steal your hearts (not a casino)
Recommended Posts
Shop Local: Father’s Day Gift Guide
June 13, 2019
YOUR WARDROBE IS ABOUT TO GET AN UPGRADE WITH STARLOTTE SATINE VINTAGE
February 23, 2019
SHOP LOCAL: LAST MINUTE MUSICAL GIFT IDEAS
December 21, 2018