The South Surrey woman behind the new online clothing boutique “Betty Be Good” and its policy of helping exploited women says the company name is a tribute to her mother.
Suzanne Smith says she decided to call her business www.BettyBeGood.ca after her mom, Betty Schrader.
“My mom, Betty, inspires every person she knows to be a better person,” says Smith. “To me, Betty is a name that says kindness, generosity, and of course, style.”
Betty Be Good launched in April as web-only seller of women’s fashion.
Smith says its 2012 collection has a theme of “liberty in style.”
“It’s fresh, romantic and feminine,” Smith says. “We love lace, sexy silhouettes and flirty fashion, but we’re balancing this femininity with edgier looks like the moto jacket and a distressed skinny jean.”
The business donates five per cent of purchases to female survivors of sexual exploitation and trafficking who find help at Deborah’s Gate, (deborahsgate.ca), a safe house operated by The Salvation Army.
Smith says the initiative, “Betty’s Liberty Closet,” was created to “help give a fresh start to women fleeing the bondage of sex slavery.”