October is breast cancer awareness month, and pink is the color chosen to show solidarity. However, for Redwood high school parent, and visual-artist turned entrepreneur Keira Kotler, the color violet represents so much more.
At the age of 40, Kotler was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, she was one of the lucky ones, because her cancer was caught early. The desire to pay her good fortune forward has inspired her to create Everviolet, a lingerie and loungewear collection specialized for women with breast cancer.
Kotler was surprised to realize that upon recovering, one her biggest challenges was getting dressed in the morning. After six months and over 200 nonfunctional bras, Kotler reached out her support group, Bay Area Young Survivors, to find out if other women were experiencing the same phenomenon.
“It was almost universal,” Kotler said. “Every woman I talked to faced the same decision: unattractive, functional garments or lingerie that no longer fit her needs. It was a choice between support and comfort, between being a patient and a woman.”
With Everviolet, Kotler feels there should be no compromise between beautiful garments and functional ones.
“We’re blending comfort, healing, femininity and aesthetics in one place,” Kotler said.
Kotler is trying to provide options for women during the many changes they go through in their lives.
“Whether it is having babies and breastfeeding, or as we get older and go through menopause, every stage our bodies are going to change. So my hope is that these garments will be for everyone, ” she said.
Kotler hopes that this brand will be about displaying inner beauty, and to her, the color violet represents that idea best.
Kotler comes from a background in the visual arts and is an accomplished painter who is represented in galleries across the county. She has always loved color and exploring how unexpected color combinations interact together.
“Violet is the color of our inner selves, the part of us that you cannot always see,” Kotler said.
What sets Everviolet apart from the other brands is its attention to detail, according to Kotler.
“Each bra will have a pocket, so if a women needs to wear a prosthetic, she can, and then the cut of the bra is different from other bras you will see in the market,” she said.
Kotler designed the bra to avoid areas around the torso that become sensitive after surgery. There will be no wires whatsoever, just soft fabric.
Kotler has also made a commitment to sustainability, and is sourcing only the purest materials. Each fabric chosen will meet her high standard of quality.
Last fall, Everviolet launched its social media campaign in honor of Breast Cancer awareness month, and Kotler hopes to have the brand ready to release this spring. Kotler hopes to sell primarily online. However, she plans to also go directly to surgeons and health centers so that following surgery, women have access to this product.
“I keep saying that I want to bridge fashion and health care,” Kotler said.
Junior Addie Kahn is Kotler’s step daughter, and works part-time for Everviolet. Kahn researches which doctors to contact, and helps with social media content.
“I would definitely say [Everviolet] has inspired me to make the best out of a bad situation,” Kahn said. “Keira went through something life changing, and came out of it with a new business helping others. I definitely strive to be like that.”
Kotler said that throughout this journey she has learned many valuable things about herself as well as what it takes to launch a multi-faceted business. Kotler has listened to the stories of many women, not all of whom were as lucky as her. She likes to call this business her “pay it forward” offering, which helps her not take anything for granted.
“Even though we may go through some really difficult times in our lives where we change, there’s always going to be something that we can gain from it, something that is going to teach us a lot about ourselves, or help us understand the world better,” Kotler said. “It’s not about dismissing the bad, but about trying to embrace the good that can come out of a challenge.”
