Today we’d like to introduce you to Grethel Gonzalez and Grecia Marin.
Grethel and Grecia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
We are a small family from Nicaragua. For a while, we lived in El Salvador, a nation we love as much as our precious homeland.
We started this company taking inspiration from the legacy of my beloved son Diego. The mission of this venture is to create clothes imbued with love and positive energy. Our vision is to provide a safe space for every person who needs to re-start their lives.
During his chemotherapy treatments, Diego felt exposed and vulnerable every time he had to strip to allow the medical staff access to the Central Intravenous Catheter installed in his chest. This experience moved us to create Bork’s initial prototype, a cotton t-shirt with a hand-sewn custom zipper, as the embodiment of our brand’s foundational intent: to create designs that help you regain your privacy and give you control over who can see your body.
Our brand’s second intent came to be when we were forced to overcome the heartbreaking loss of Diego’s life; when we had no option but to start over with a new set of puzzle pieces. This is how Bork was created. Bork is a collection of practical clothing for everyday wear, designed for patients undergoing a variety of treatments. It’s a brand strongly anchored on emotion. Emotions, feelings, and thoughts can become a hefty emotional burden that affects and often distorts our self-image. The various side effects of medicines, treatments, and procedures devolve into changes in our appearance, forcing changes in our body weight, looks, complexion, and too often bring the loss of body hair and scars, which inevitably intensify the social pressure and exacerbate the fear of being rejected, of losing control of our bodily functions, of the what the future will bring, and of becoming increasingly dependent on the assistance of caregivers.
One day, you look at the mirror and discover that you have nothing you can wear to your hospital visits, to work, or even out for coffee that fits you or compliments you anymore. At Bork, we craft designs that fit your new emotional stages, giving back to you the control of your intimacy and self-esteem. Our garments include thoughtful features and small details that go beyond mere function.
We are a mother and daughter who have faced up close the challenges of disability, cancer, the side-effects of steroids and chemotherapy, the pain of uncertainty, the dread of having to see people, of negative thoughts, depression, sadness, anger, frustration, and grief. Cancer and other life-threatening conditions can never prevail over faith, hope, and love. We broke the mold and created this new set of pieces for a new puzzle.
Now, we live in Houston together and this year we are working on manufacturing our first collection which was delayed for at least six months because of the Coronavirus crisis but we remain positive, optimistic and we can’t wait to help patients feel happy and full of hope again.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the biggest obstacles was to grieve while building a business that was inspired by the loss and pain of losing Diego. Every day we have to remind each other why we need to keep fighting, why we need to stay positive and most importantly why we need to keep moving forward to make this a reality. We need to make sure other people have what we did not have available when my brother was alive and hope we give life back to those that have lost their hope.
Please tell us about BORK.
At Bork, we craft designs that fit your new emotional stages, giving back to you the control of your intimacy and self-esteem. Our garments include thoughtful features and small details that go beyond mere function.
Our new collection is called Being Me. It includes two shirts: Hope (in white) and Courage (in black.) Both feature high-quality, invisible zippers that are eco-friendly and fully recyclable; made of Nylon and TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane.) They include two sliders and two pull tabs to make them easier to use. This design allows you to open the zipper with an upward motion, providing quick and convenient access to either a central intravenous line or subcutaneous port, chest stitches, or even a mastectomy. The anti-bacterial fabric used in our shirts repels odor-producing bacteria, mold, and fungi; it’s also quick-wash and quick-dry. Its heat-transfer print prevents skin abrasion and discomfort.
We want to break the mold by providing outpatient practical wear for street and hospital use. We want to offer patients pieces full of energy, hope, and love so they can remember who they used to be before they were sick, this will give them the strengths they need to keep fighting for life during their treatment.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Nothing! It hasn’t been easy and it was extremely painful for both of us, however, this experience gave us a new purpose in life, brought us closer and made us better human beings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bork.design
- Phone: 346 414 2799
- Email: welcome@bork.design
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bork_design/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bork-Design-692047457892695
Image Credit:
Mario Kazaz Barboza
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