How Being 5'0" Inspired Me to Build a Women's Outerwear Brand

How one Edmonton entrepreneur turned a personal frustration into a women's technical outerwear brand through four years of self-taught design, determination, and persistence.

It Started With a Problem I Couldn't Ignore

At 5'0", finding snowboard gear that actually fit me felt nearly impossible.

My pants were always too long, my sleeves needed rolling up, and anything that fit in length seemed to fit awkwardly everywhere else. And IF I found that worked, it was either too bulky or not warm enough for Canadian winters.

For years, I just accepted this. But eventually, I started asking myself: Why couldn't women's outerwear be functional, flattering, and built for our winters without sacrificing fit?

That question became the beginning of NEXARINA.

The only problem? I had absolutely no background in fashion or product design.

And I had no idea where to start.

Learning an Entire Industry From Scratch

When I decided to create my own outerwear brand, I quickly realized just how much I didn't know.

I had to teach myself everything from fabrics, zippers, waterproofing, insulation, and manufacturing. There was no step-by-step guide, so I spent countless hours researching, asking questions, making mistakes, and figuring things out as I went.

Before designing anything, I wanted to know if other women faced the same challenges.

I interviewed over 300 women, and one finding shocked me: nearly 80% were wearing men's outerwear.

I realized the problem was much bigger than my height. Women of all shapes and sizes were struggling to find gear that fit properly.

Those conversations changed my approach. I wasn't just designing outerwear for myself anymore. I was solving problems hundreds of women were experiencing.

Four Years, 50 Prototypes, and a Lot of Setbacks

Building something from scratch rarely goes according to plan.

Over four years, I went through more than 50 prototypes, countless revisions, and manufacturing challenges, all while teaching myself an industry I knew nothing about.

With each prototype costing approximately $1,000, every mistake was an expensive lesson.

And without a design background, there were plenty of them.

I believe so strongly in this business and the problem I'm solving for women that I've invested nearly $70,000 of my own money into bringing NEXARINA to life.

There were moments I questioned whether I could pull it off. But with every setback, I learned something new, and every prototype brought me one step closer to making my vision a reality.

Turning an Idea Into a Real Business

In February 2026, we launched our women’s technical outerwear collection in 5 sizes and three lengths: Short, Regular, and Tall.

Seeing something that had lived in my head for years become a physical product was one of the most surreal experiences of my life.

But I quickly learned that creating a great product and building a successful business are two completely different challenges.

Suddenly, I was responsible for marketing, inventory, finances, customer service, shipping, and getting my products in front of the right people.

As a self-funded founder, you end up wearing every hat. Some days you're the CEO. Other days you're packing orders, solving manufacturing problems, or teaching yourself something you didn't even know you needed to learn.

My Best-Selling Product Almost Didn't Exist

One of my biggest lessons came from a product I originally had no intention of creating.

A snow bib.

Growing up, I never wore bibs because the proportions were always so off. So when I started NEXARINA, a bib wasn't part of my plan.

But customers kept asking for one.

I started researching bib construction, learning what made them functional, and figuring out how to design one for women of different heights.

Today, the Everette Bib is NEXARINA's best-selling product and my personal favourite.

It's funny that something I never planned to create became one of the products I'm most proud of. And it wouldn't exist if I hadn't listened.

That's something I've carried into other parts of the business. My customers aren't just buying NEXARINA. They're helping me build it, influencing everything from product features and fit to the colours we launch.

I've learned that sometimes the best business decisions aren't the ones you come up with yourself. They're the ones you make when you're willing to listen.

What Building NEXARINA Has Taught Me

If there's one thing I wish I'd understood when I started, it's that you don't need to be an expert to begin. You need to be willing to become one.

I've learned that progress doesn't always look the way you imagine. Sometimes it's another failed prototype, a difficult conversation with a manufacturer, or an entire day spent solving an unexpected problem.

But somewhere along the way, I've fallen in love with solving problems, asking questions, and learning things I never imagined I'd need to know.

I've realized that entrepreneurship isn't about having all the answers. It's about being willing to find them.

I'm Just Getting Started

Today, I'm continuing to grow NEXARINA, expand into retail, and make better-fitting technical outerwear available to more women.

For most of my life, being 5'0" was something I saw as a disadvantage. Clothes never fit, I constantly had to make adjustments, and I often felt like things weren't made for someone like me.

But building NEXARINA has completely changed how I see that.

Something I once considered my biggest weakness became the reason I started a business, discovered a passion for designing products, and found something I genuinely love doing.

And I think that's been one of the most meaningful lessons of this entire journey.

Sometimes the things we spend our lives wishing we could change about ourselves turn out to be the very things that change our lives.