As a bridesmaid or a guest at countless weddings, Henkaa's late Founder Joanna Duong Chang was spending way too much on one-time use outfits and found it challenging to find clothing that suited everyone’s body type, size, and personal style. She created Henkaa to drastically reduce the number of bridesmaids and special occasion dresses collecting dust in closets, never to be seen again. Jo wore her first Henkaa convertible dress in 2009 as a guest to our Managing Director Sonia's wedding. Purple was popular that year — another person at her table was wearing a non-convertible dress in the same shade and in the same style, too. Jo promptly changed her dress style and came back with a whole new dress — problem solved! Ten years later, Henkaa has helped thousands of women discover the freedom and opportunities that convertible clothing provides, and is recognized as a body-positive brand that uplifts women with clothing that looks and feels great.

How do you approach weddings? 

We believe that you and your wedding party should have fun at the wedding and that a key part of this is looking AND feeling good in what you're wearing for the day. Henkaa's convertible dresses make that a reality — wedding parties with women of different shapes and sizes can:

• style the dresses in the way they feel most comfortable and look beautiful in (each convertible dress can be styled in 10-60 different ways!)

• rest assured that they won't need to spend extra time or money altering the bodice of the dress like traditional bridesmaids dresses

• re-wear the dress for other events

With our dresses, you'll celebrate in style and be able to dance the night away!

What are some traits of your ideal clients?

Our clients are fun, creative and imaginative. They're thoughtful folks who want their bridal party to be able to express their personal style while looking and feeling great. They like pretty things but are also aware that fashion creates a lot of waste, so they want to get dresses that aren't going to be useless after one wear. They're excited about the many possibilities for re-wearing and re-using the dresses for different occasions after the wedding. Last but not least, they love that Henkaa is committed to showcasing diverse women in our marketing because it's a true reflection of them and their bridal party.

What are three of your favorite things? 

1. Any and all celebrations — small or large, we love to have a good time and help others have a good time, too.

2. Travel — we love discovering new places and experiencing the local food and drink.

3. DIY — it's always fun to get creative (our absolute fave is using Henkaa dresses for Henkaaween DIY costumes).

Henkaa is the leading body-positive, inclusive fashion brand for special occasion dresses. We uplift women with clothing that looks and feels great with size-flexible dresses fitting up to street-size 24. Our convertible dresses can be transformed to celebrate all of life's special moments and to suit many different personal styles. Henkaa is based in Toronto, Canada, where all of our dresses are handmade with love.

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