Kate Leigh mother and daughter resort wear … fashions not just for fun, but for breast cancer research as well
From a young age, Leigh Gale’s mother, Katherine, taught her that she could do anything she set her mind to it.
“She never looked at me and said, ‘You can’t do that.’ She would always say, ‘Let’s give it a try!’ She did her best to make sure everything I wanted to do became a reality.
If we’re fortunate, we all have that person in our lives who is one-of-a-kind, irreplaceable, and inspirational, even after they are no longer with us. For Leigh and her family, that person is her mother.
When Leigh’s mother passed away 12 years ago of breast cancer, Leigh and her family wanted to do something to honor her memory.
“My children and I began raising funds for breast cancer research. Initially, we were doing traditional fundraising with a silent auction through a Country Club, that sort of thing which eventually evolved into a lemonade stand.”
Leigh’s daughter is named Kate, after her late mother. Kate enthusiastically got to work and enjoyed selling the lemonade in front of their Boca Grande home. She was happy to be working for a good cause.
Then came the pandemic.
“When COVID-19 hit, my daughter said, ‘I would really like to do a lemonade today.’ And I had to explain that you can’t sell your lemonade. It was tough.”
Within a few weeks, Kate came to her mother and said, “I have an idea. Why don’t we design some dresses and sell those? Part of the proceeds can go to breast cancer.”
“I thought it was a great idea,” said Leigh. “Of course, I don’t know the first thing about doing this, but we’ll give it a go.”
That’s how the Kate Leigh Mother-Daughter Resort Wear line was born.
“This line is inspired by our love for this island and our passion for raising funds for breast cancer. I have always believed that you should follow your heart and dream big. Kate and I have reached for the stars and took a leap of faith to follow our dream of creating our very own mother-daughter resort wear line. Our collection is made with love and manufactured in our very own U.S.A.”
Kate Leigh is a brand that celebrates women and girls, but especially mothers and daughters.
“Working on the development of this brand and custom prints allows the legacy of my late mother, whose nickname with close friends and family was ‘Penny,’ to shine through and make all of us feel magical.”
Katherine’s nickname was Penny because pennies are unique; they are the first in the money chain, can shine and are used to make a wish, and those wishes can come true.
In honoring her mother, Leigh passes the same can-do belief to her daughter that Katherine shared with her. “I’m proud to say that we have followed our hearts and dreamed big, and now it’s truly happening. In my mom’s loving honor, we are working to make her wish come true by donating a portion of our proceeds to breast cancer research in hopes of finding a cure within our lifetime.”
Leigh’s motto says it all: “Wish It. Dream it. Do It!”
For more information go to KateLeigh.co.
