Toni Brem is one of the moms behind the Safehaven Holiday Pop-Up, where you can find a super cute pair of jammies for your little one(s), while also giving back to the Toronto community. 100% of the proceeds from each pair of pajamas will go toward the therapeutic and recreational programs that Safehaven offers children with special needs. (You have until Dec 18th to ensure delivery before Christmas, or place an order for local pick-up.)
Toni has three children and after her second was born, she left the PR world, where she had climbed the ranks at CHUM and FASHION MAGAZINE, to become an entrepreneur. om baby apparel was born out of a passion for design, and also a frustration toward the limited gendered kids fashion that dominated the market.
After Toni’s daughter Marlowe was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome, it became obvious that balancing a small business with the needs of her family, especially of little Marlowe’s, was too much to handle. So Toni walked away from the business to pause and direct her energy entirely to the home.
For two years, Toni’s primary focus was on her daughter’s needs and development, but this past fall, she decided it was also time to step back into the workplace, so she began working part-time at The Safehaven Project for Community Living, a charity that brings support and community inclusion to young people with disabilities in the GTA by providing respite and residential care.
Toni’s path is one she could not have ever foreseen, and it has been largely shaped by becoming a mom, learning from her children, and wanting the very best for all of them. Marlowe’s developmental condition has perhaps been the most inspiring part of Toni’s journey. “I’ve caught myself sharing with friends that I worried as early as two months in that something might be wrong. Wrong? I’m much more careful with my words now,” says Toni. “Nothing is wrong with Marlowe. She is just different. Aren’t we all aspiring to be special?”
The Safehaven Holiday Pop-Up is reuniting Toni with her love for children’s fashion, while also supporting the organization that has become so incredibly meaningful in her life. Get your kids, nieces or nephews these sweet pajamas, while helping Marlowe (and others like Marlowe) all over this city.