Karen Carrillo, the designer behind the KooCoo brand, was born and raised in hip and cosmo Toronto, Canada. Karen’s love affair with fashion and art started when she was very young, a talent that proved rewarding and beneficial even early on – it was the only way her mother managed to keep her still and quiet. Her distinctive yet random tastes were shaped by her unique background (her mom and dad immigrated to Canada from Italy and Ecuador, respectively) and her lifestyle in the big city.
At the age of 18, struggling for independence, she set out for Montreal, where she spent the next two years falling in love with the vintage stores and boutiques of the stylish city, all while attending La Salle College. While obtaining a degree in Fashion Design, Karen showcased her clothing at fashion shows and outfitted local rock bands.
After La Salle College Karen’s ambition landed her a position with a private label company as a fashion designer. There Karen travelled all over Europe on the hunt for inspiration and trends. On her travels she met a diverse set of incredible people and acquired a global sense for fashion.
But following her first true passion, Karen returned to the art world in the fall of 2005 and began her fine arts degree at Concordia University. There, she was warmly invited into the Concordia ceramics community where she managed to make great friends, travel and get all covered in mud all while creating fantastical art pieces.
In the summer of 2007 Karen’s underlying sense of adventure compelled her to bike from Toronto to Montreal. A trip she is very proud of and believes “everyone should do this; it’s so freeing and just.....… beautiful.” She is currently training for a bike trip from Toronto to Halifax, email her if you’re interested.
Upon moving back to hometown Toronto, Karen joined Freedom Clothing Collective a volunteer run boutique that is currently run by 5 crazy chicks (read below for more info). It showcases over 60 Canadian (mostly Toronto - but also Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, London and now Windsor) designers. Freedom also holds monthly art exhibitions with music shows, workshops, craft and clothing swaps and they are always up for new and exciting ventures - email them your ideas!
All these experiences motivated Karen to self-start KooCoo.ca – her solitary leap into the fashion world. The brand represents the mixture of Karen’s European travels, her adventures in Montreal and her youth in Toronto. Her line of clutch purses and jewellery are boldly-chic with a sexy twist.
