Casual Heroes: Supporting everyday heroes

Photo de Marie-Janelle Larivée, Gabriel Bellomo Dugré, Julien-Karl Bellomo Dugré

From left to right: Marie-Janelle Larivée, Gabriel Bellomo Dugré, Julien-Karl Bellomo Dugré

A former Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (HMR) patient has created a new local clothing line, in which part of the profits is donated to non-profit organizations, notably the HMR Foundation. He shares with us how this initiative came about.

What is Casual Heroes?

Julien-Karl Bellomo Dugré: Casual Heroes is a new brand created by Marie-Janelle Larivée, my girlfriend, Gabriel Bellomo Dugré, my brother, and myself. It proposes clothing with a “basics blanks” style that are :

  • made in Canada
  • by people who are paid decently
  • and designed to respect the environment with quality materials.

A portion of the profits (50%) is donated to one of the partner foundations, among which the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Foundation.

How did you come up with this idea?

J.-K.: For several years now, we have been very involved with various foundations whose mission is close to our hearts. We give a lot of our time.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a lot of talk about buying locally. It is important, now more than ever, to encourage our relatives, friends, customers, partners, and local merchants who are going through difficult times.

However, there is less talk about non-profit organizations whose mission is to do good in different spheres of society. They, too, are struggling with less income while the needs remain the same. So, this was a big issue for us.

We decided to make one of our dreams come true: To create a clothing brand while trying to change the world in our own way.Julien-Karl Bellomo Dugré

Why did you choose the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Foundation?

J.-K.: In 2018, my brother, Gabriel, was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma. He was 35 years old. Admitted to Pierre-Le Gardeur Hospital, he was transferred to Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont and spent nearly 6 months in isolation.

The Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont teams saved his life. From the very first days, Gabriel was cared for by extraordinary, dedicated and humane people. It was therefore an obvious choice for us, founders of Casual Heroes, to approach the HMR Foundation.Julien-Karl Bellomo Dugré

What do you propose?

J.-K.: The mission of Casual Heroes is to provide quality clothing that combines ethics, style, and value, while promoting a philanthropic lifestyle. Everyone needs to dress, so why not combine business with pleasure, and do it with a positive impact?

Where can we find your collection?

J.-K.: Our products are offered exclusively on the web. Online sales allow us to give back to partner foundations the costs savings arising from not having to invest in retail distribution.

˃ Discover the Casual Heroes collection.

Follow Casual Heroes on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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