MaRen Celebrates Her First…
The first to achieve an accomplishment, the women we feature for our Ladies First profiles are simply doing something that gives their life meaning. While making a name for themselves, these women are living the life they are meant to live. Forging a path to purpose, the women provide new perspectives from which we hope to gain inspiration for both ourselves, as well for our followers.
In developing the Ladies First theme for the MaRen Designs newsletter, we were careful to not tread too closely to the title of “First Lady”. To keep our theme simple and our message clear, we instead inverted the two words to signify that the women we profile are the first in their roles in this world – thus, we arrived at Ladies First.
Ladies First: A First Lady of the United States
Well, our February profile allows us to embrace both versions of our theme: First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is not only our focus in this month’s Ladies First newsletter, but she is also indeed a First Lady. Yes, she is the first African-American First Lady of the United States, the wife of the 44th President, Barack Obama.
But also, she became the focus of much admiration and recognition for her experience, knowledge, and contributions to society. A favorite First Lady, she continues to serve as a role model for women long after she fulfilled her role at the White House.
Purpose Embodied
Pioneers in their careers and in their places in history, our Ladies First profiles highlight women who discovered paths to their purpose and who inspire us to do the same. A lawyer and a writer, Michelle Obama embodies this sense of purpose as a barrier-breaking woman.
Embracing the good she could bring to the world while living under the spotlight, Michelle Obama made a name for herself in her own right. Standing on the solid foundation she built in the years leading up to her spouse’s two presidential terms, Michelle Obama leveraged her time as First Lady to initiate and develop her Let’s Move program to advocate for healthy families.
She and then Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces, bringing attention to America’s service members, veterans, and their families and supporting them through employment, wellness, and education opportunities. Michelle Obama also created the Reach Higher initiative, inspiring students to pursue education via a professional training program, a community college, or a four-year college or university.
Expanding her efforts beyond national borders, she also teamed up with President Obama to launch Let Girls Learn, an initiative to help girls around the world access an education. All while successfully managing the traditional duties of the First Family, Michelle Obama felt her most important role was that of Mom-in-Chief to her daughters.
Making It Personal
While many in the political world had hoped to recruit Michelle Obama and her popularity to run for office upon her spouse’s departure from the White House, she had other, more personal, plans. To follow-up her #1 bestselling memoir Becoming, Michelle Obama released in 2022 the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Light We Carry, a collection of wisdom and strategies to help readers remain hopeful despite circumstances.
While many in the political world had hoped to recruit Michelle Obama and her popularity to run for office upon her spouse’s departure from the White House, she had other, more personal, plans. To follow-up her #1 bestselling memoir Becoming, Michelle Obama released in 2022 the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Light We Carry, a collection of wisdom and strategies to help readers remain hopeful despite circumstances.
MaRen Designs
In the spirit of Michelle Obama, MaRen Designs hopes to also help young girls in a world of firsts. We want to instill confidence in girls when they find themselves in the spotlight. And then we strive to inspire them to build upon that confidence and forge their own unique path in life.
Our goal is to liberate young girls to look and feel comfortable as they navigate an ever changing world. Personalising their crop tops, camisoles, and bras with changeable straps, monograms, and button-on accents, girls can create an environment that simultaneously empowers and comforts them.
With soft-as-skin materials and timeless style, our clothing allows girls to take their mind off of their bodies, enabling them to focus on their ideas and goals. Finding worth, meaning, and purpose in their lives, young girls can stand on a foundation of assuredness, doing what they feel they are meant to do.
Made in Canada with Pride
Proudly made in Canada, MaRen Designs brings the same spirit of independence that Michelle Obama exemplifies to the design and production of their crop tops, camisoles, and bras. Aspiring to share this message of individuality to young girls, MaRen Designs hopes to infuse the refreshing perspective and insatiable spirit of Michelle Obama into their brand and messaging.
As with all of our Ladies First, Michelle Obama carries the same pride we hold for our Canadian-produced products, a model for young girls to witness and replicate in their own lives.
For more newsletters profiling our Ladies First, please sign up here. MaRen Designs continues profiling women achieving firsts.
MaRen celebrates Black History Month
In the spirit of Michelle Obama, MaRen Designs hopes to also help young girls in a world of firsts. We want to instill confidence in girls when they find themselves in the spotlight. And then we strive to inspire them to build upon that confidence and forge their own unique path in life.
Our goal is to liberate young girls to look and feel comfortable as they navigate an ever changing world. Personalising their crop tops, camisoles, and bras with changeable straps, monograms, and button-on accents, girls can create an environment that simultaneously empowers and comforts them.
With soft-as-skin materials and timeless style, our clothing allows girls to take their mind off of their bodies, enabling them to focus on their ideas and goals. Finding worth, meaning, and purpose in their lives, young girls can stand on a foundation of assuredness, doing what they feel they are meant to do.
Made in Canada with Pride
Proudly made in Canada, MaRen Designs brings the same spirit of independence that Michelle Obama exemplifies to the design and production of their crop tops, camisoles, and bras. Aspiring to share this message of individuality to young girls, MaRen Designs hopes to infuse the refreshing perspective and insatiable spirit of Michelle Obama into their brand and messaging.
As with all of our Ladies First, Michelle Obama carries the same pride we hold for our Canadian-produced products, a model for young girls to witness and replicate in their own lives.
For more newsletters profiling our Ladies First, please sign up here. MaRen Designs continues profiling women achieving firsts.
MaRen celebrates Black History Month
A few years ago, my family and I, thanks to my sister, embarked upon what would become a journey into my family's past. As a black woman whose African forefathers were all victims of the British slave trade, neither I, nor my family on both my maternal and paternal sides, ever had the honour of knowing exactly where we came from. Yes, we knew somewhere in Africa, and basically due to our facial and body features, there are certain African tribes and nations that we could rule out. But because there are no official records nor archives of our family footprint, but for those of human trafficking, a Caribbean/West Indian or South American Black person, can usually not trace his/her family history. Thanks to the many companies like Ancestry, we all can have access to data and information about our past. How wonderful! I now have the breakdown of my African and West Indian roots and to some extent European. Knowing where you come from and having an understanding of one's roots, is both empowering and humbling, but most of all, it solidifies a sense of being and gives meaning to one's existence. That is why Black History month, recognised in both Canada and the United States, is so important to me and to all of us who make-up the Afro-Caribbean diaspora. This is a month to celebrate our history and who we are and where we came and come from. From literature, to music, to art to food - it is all on display and for us to showcase! Take a moment to dabble in the world of Black History and get to know a culture so rich in traditions and customs that dates back millennia.