Munira Premji

I have heard of people who have streets named after them.  People who have hospitals, libraries and and schools with their names displayed prominently.  Last month, I learnt that President Obama has the dubious honour of having a parasite named after him, Baracktrema obamai, by a scientist who wanted to honour him.  Well now, I have a bra named after me – The Munira Bra!

It all started a couple of months ago when my surgeon at North York General Hospital (NYGH), Dr. Pinchuk, called me and asked if I would be interested in participating in a campaign with Knix Wear to benefit the hospital. Knix Wear is an active intimates company that creates beautiful products for women based on extensive customer research.  The Evolution Bra, their most popular product, was created with the guiding principles of “comfortable can be cute” and “functional can be fashionable”.   The Evolution Bra is anti-odor, quick dry, fully reversible, has a seamless design and is completely underwire free.  It is available in all sizes, from extra-small to 2X.  Best of all, the fabric completely moulds to your unique shape.  The bras are designed so you can wear them at work, play and during workouts.  Knix Wear has been featured in a number of magazines, including The Huffington Post, Forbes, Glamour and Cosmopolitan, each of these touting the Evolution Bra as the world’s most comfortable, versatile and technologically advanced bra.

The company was started by Joanna Griffiths, CEO and Founder, in 2015 and has 7 employees.  She is beautiful and smart and… young!  She graduated from Queen’s University only a few years before my son, Shayne.  She then went on to do her MBA at INSEAD in France.

She had a business idea that she pitched to Dragon’s Den and obtained a $300,000 investment from one of the Dragons in exchange for 20% of her company.  She funded the development of the Evolution Bra through crowdfunding (Indiegogo and Kickstarter) and raised an impressive $1,551,287 from more than 19,000 backers.

The NYGH approached Knix Wear to design bras that would benefit patients who are going through breast cancer treatment.  As a breast cancer patient, I love the idea!  I found that there were times during my treatment when it was difficult, if not impossible, for me to wear a bra. This was after the lumpectomy (surgery) and during and shortly after radiation treatment.  The Evolution Bra would have been completely wearable at that time.

The NYGH/Knix Wear campaign features 5 women who have undergone breast cancer treatment at NYGH.  Each of us was asked to share a word that describes our journey with cancer. My word was “Resilience”.  My colleagues,  Judith, Anita, Anne and Lindsay picked, “Strength”, “Victory”, “Transform” and “Heart”.  The words are tastefully displayed on the limited edition Evolution Bras.  Knix Wear interviewed and videotaped each of us and invited us to a special media launch event at the Yorkdale Shopping Centre, where they revealed the special edition Evolution Bra.  Five Women. Five Words. Five Bras.

The Bra retails for $60 each, with $30 from each sale going directly to NYGH.  The goal for NYGH is to raise $100,000 to buy a new Biopsy table for the Breast Diagnostic Centre that will directly benefit patients.

These beautiful Bras will be on sale at NYGH on Monday, October 17, 2016, from 10 am -4 pm in the Atrium of the main South entrance of the Hospital.  They are also available at Yorkdale Mall at the pop-up Brika store until the end of October.  Alternatively, you can purchase them online at www.knixwear.ca.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  The numbers are daunting.  1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.  This campaign is a wonderful partnership between NYGH and Knix Wear to come one step closer to finding a cure. Women everywhere – – I know you need Bras! Please purchase a Munira Bra today!

Click here for an article in the local North York Mirror.