A few weeks ago I had the beautifully surreal experience of seeing something that Quinn and Ashley of Gedi Village and I collaborated on, come to life!
My hat company had started out of a love of words, the power of a positive reframe, and a genuine curiousity about what happened to the positive versions of words like Disgruntled, Ruthless, and Reckless.
When Quinn suggested 'chalant' as our collaboration word, it was an immediate yes. It's a word that captures the ethos of Gedi Village and Quinn and Ashley, the co-founders, perfectly.
At the end of May, parents, children and camp counsellors gathered for a really lovely late afternoon photoshoot. The incredible Canadian photographers Caitlin Cronenberg and Maggie Devereux captured kids and families (and one adorable pup named Happy) all wearing our chalant hats.
As the founder of this hat company, seeing 20+ of our hats out in the wilds of Toronto's Humber Valley was surreal!
Modern culture glorifies being "nonchalant". It’s cooler to be unbothered and indifferent than to care. Gedi Village and Whelm Co. disagree!
Whelm Co. exists to bring a little joy and care with positively curious words, while Gedi Village exists to reclaim the human spirit in education by teaching kids to think critically, feel deeply, and act boldly.
So join us! To be chalant is the opposite of nonchalant: it means to care deeply, to be invested, to show emotion, and to actively build a better future. The Chalant Club is an exclusive (but completely inclusive) club for people who aren't afraid to care. The purchase of a "Chalant" hat supports Gedi’s mission to reimagine education.
To further support Gedi - https://www.gedivillage.org/donate