Anna Morente and Cara Armstrong - the co-founders of Owtside The Box with queen Lauren at the National Down Syndrome Congress in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Owtside The Box was born out of a love of Down Syndrome and fashion. Our youngest children, Josh and Mia, both rock an extra chromosome. Down syndrome is the result of three copies of the 21st chromosome and the most common genetic anomaly. (It occurs in about 1 in 700 births).
Over the years, we have attended countless events to raise money and awareness for our Down syndrome community. Our closets are full of event t-shirts that we wore once because they were uncomfortable and unflattering (to put it kindly). Nothing like looking like Spongebob Square Pants while fighting for equality!
We began envisioning a brand that made Down syndrome and disability awareness hip - (Millennial translation - dope, sick, or fire - you're welcome - we got you). What if awareness swag became fashionable, even among people outside the Down syndrome community? What if Josh and Mia could be co-creators of the brand? It sounded dreamy but believe me, we realize that de-stigmatizing Down syndrome is not for the faint of heart. Bullying and ignorance rear their ugly heads all too often in our community.
While launching a fashion brand seemed a bit daunting for two moms that work full-time, have six kids between them, and lose their keys three times a day, we took the plunge.
Owtside the Box was launched at the National Down Syndrome Congress in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2022. Anna single handedly hauled 100 pounds of OTB merch on a red-eye from Los Angeles, and I flew in from a business trip to Toronto, and we set up our pop up shop. Guess What??? People loved our story, but more than anything, they were obsessed with our merch! We returned home with empty suitcases and full hearts.
We are excited to embark on this journey and ask for your support. You can SHOP our site, FOLLOW us on Instagram @owtsidethebox, and most importantly, SPREAD THE WORD.
It's time to live, love, dream, and think Owtside the Box - Get the fit without fitting in.
Peace, Love, and Equality >>>
Anna and Cara
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