THE BRAND
PLAYWEAR is a one-woman operation based in Chester, Nova Scotia, a world-renowned sailing community on Canada’s East Coast. The fashion industry creates massive environmental impact, especially through the constant production of new textiles. Here in Nova Scotia, where retired sails and marine materials pile up PLAYWEAR gives those end-of-life materials a second story.
Although the brand is shaped by a coastal upbringing, its aesthetic is not the stereotypical nautical style that dominates small seaside towns. PLAYWEAR rejects the overdone “anchor and burgee” look and instead focuses on playful, functional pieces that reflect how we actually live here: long beach days, bonfires, road trips, hikes, travel, and of course, playing on the water. It is coastal, but never cliché.
Since launching, PLAYWEAR has been featured on Style East, awarded Gold for Best Dressmaker Halifax (2023), and been a long time sponsor of Chester Race Week, supporting local sailing, sport, and community initiatives. The brand has also shown remade couture in Chester, Halifax, and Paris, including Paris Fashion Week in 2023. (shown here)
THE OWNER
Founder and designer Livia Helena grew up in Chester, Nova Scotia, where sewing and sport shaped almost everything about her. By ten, she was racing sailboats competitively and learning how to make clothing. She spent years moving between marine studies and fashion, eventually becoming a certified captain and a proud fashion school dropout. Her path was not linear, but it led exactly where it needed to.
In 2019, she combined both worlds to create PLAYWEAR, a coastal brand committed to reusing materials destined for the landfill. Her designs have appeared at Halifax and Paris Fashion Weeks, been featured on Style East, and earned her a Gold Award for Best Dressmaker Halifax (2023). Still, her greatest achievement is becoming the woman her 14-year-old self needed and having the courage to live her childhood dream.
Livia does her best to slow the environmental impact of the fashion industry through PLAYWEAR, while recognizing that not everyone has access to sustainable or Canadian-made clothing. She believes we should do our best within a system that does not always make good choices easy, and that the most ethical thing we can do is choose pieces we truly love and wear them often. She hopes you can find some of those here.
Her philosophy is simple. Personal style is personal, and judging someone for how they dress is out of fashion. Wear what makes you happy, we get one life.
