Kristi Woo

Hi I’m Kristi Woo. I am the designer and founder for Riyoko, comfortable chic and conscious travel clothing for women made with their movement in mind, and a local designer studio that brings community together through patternmaking, sewing, and mending workshops, and events.

I’ve worked in the Canadian fashion industry for over a decade as an independent designer, and have experienced how the skill of making clothing can be misunderstood, and undervalued in light of globalization and fast fashion practices. Along this journey, I also came to realize the importance of being a third generation sewer & maker (from a  family originally from China); and I chose to honour my skill, and the skill of my aunt and my grandmother by leading a conscious design practice. This can come in different forms from supporting fair wage, to buying more locally sourced fabrics, providing quality made pieces that lower the consumption footprint, to hosting workshops on how to make and mend your own clothing.

In 2018, I was asked to participate in Fashion Revolution in Calgary , and speak as a panelist, and I also ran Assemble Work/Shop’s monthly Repair Cafe as an event. These experiences opened up another way for me to contribute to the growing movement of conscious fashion. Going forward I continued participating as a member, and eventually as a board member. I continue working with Fashion Rev YYC toward greater positive change in the Fashion industry because “Individually we are a drop. Together we are an ocean” - Ryunosuke Satoro,