The City of Calgary is full of diverse voices. From the bustling streets of downtown, to the peaceful suburbs of Kincora and the culturally varied neighbourhoods of Cityscape and Redstone, the city takes on different identities depending on where you are.
And Black culture is deeply ingrained in the city’s diversity, with blooming businesses around it.
According to the 2021 census from StatCan, nearly 95,000 Canadians identify as Black or of African descent. The Black population of Calgary is estimated to be around 2.9 per cent according to canadapopulation.org, and a large part of that population consists of small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Supporting diverse businesses and learning about diverse communities is a powerful way for Calgarians to participate in our city’s growth, build connections and welcome new Calgarians. When small businesses are supported, they thrive. And thriving businesses put that energy back into their communities.
Knit Me Up Style
Sade Babatunde, owner of personal style and fashion boutique Knit Me Up, started her business as a part time gig
She doesn’t have a brick and mortar location. Instead, she provides personal and editorial styling services, helping people find the clothes that make them feel and look their best. It’s only in the last year that she has managed to make it full time. “I started this business eight years ago, and it’s grown so much.”
Babatunde was born in Nigeria and lived in England and Holland before moving to Canada.
Her desire to help others find joy through clothes is why she initially started Knit Me Up. Drawing on personal experience helping friends and family shop for clothing, the business started as an Instagram page before evolving into the blog and website that it is today. “I used whatever clothes I was writing about to title [posts on] the blog. One blog was called ‘Fall into Colours’ because it was about fall outfits and colours.”
Babatunde recalled showing her sister her first drafts. “My sister is my editor. She’s the one I gave it to. She will rip me to shreds and pieces, then bring me back and be like, ‘This is good. This is shit. Get rid of it. Start over.’”
Her sister suggested naming her business Knit Me Up. Babatunde had written a blog post about winter knits and struggled to think of a title. “My sister was like, why don’t you name your company Knit Me Up? I was like, that’s true, because I knit people up with clothes, and it’s so cute. My mom was like, ‘God knitted you in the womb, you know before you were first born. God knitted you.’ And it’s stuck since.”
Babatunde takes pride in knitting people up with clothes and building up their self-confidence. Her clients hail from different backgrounds — from new moms who are just beginning maternity leave to people with disabilities who are trying to figure out how to dress comfortably and accessibly.
Babatunde laughs at the reminder of the unwavering support she receives from her family and the community she has built. “I’m very grateful to have a wonderful support system. They’re how I’m here. I believe God uses people to keep you going… My friends and my family, they’re my therapists, they’re my counselors, my business advisors. They’re my first haters when need be. They’re like, ‘You’ve got to figure that out.’ And they’re my biggest supporters.”
And the support is evident when one looks at their social pages. With over 1500 followers and partnerships with local brands like Bellissima Fashions and Solorra Jewelry, Knit Me Up is slowly becoming a Calgary fashion staple.
On top of her work with Knit Me Up, Babatunde was recently hired to style a photoshoot with Chad Rook — CEO of Syndicate Films, and a local Calgary actor — for the local magazine I’m Here With Magazine (IHWM). She has also partnered with the Calgary Black Film Festival as a host.
Knit Me Up isn’t just a business; it’s a community, and given the enthusiastic reviews shared on Google and Babatunde’s strong love for her work, it’s no surprise that the business continues growing.
For Babatunde, it was something she didn’t anticipate after working in corporate marketing for years. “It’s crazy because I didn’t think this would happen. I needed to take a risk regardless of what happened. I wanted to shoot for the moon and the stars, but I had to shoot regardless. I’ve learned a lot about building community with people. You learn from people, you grow with people, and then people push you further because they think differently. They’re gonna make you expand the way you’re thinking about things. You need that.”
Check out Sade’s work at knitmeupstyle.com and on Instagram, @knitmeup.style
[Note: This story has been updated from the original print version to accurately reflect Sade’s work and personal background.]
