Pop culture fashion ‘worth celebrating’: Hamilton’s Cakeworthy opens store at Lime Ridge Mall

Brandon Shedden likens his business' growth to a Cinderella story - but not because a number of his designs revolve around Disney characters.

The Hamilton man launched his fashion label, Cakeworthy, back in 2014 from his spare bedroom. Shedden had taught himself how to screen print and soon began selling his products on Etsy.

At the time, he'd been working as an early childhood educator, and just two years later, he was able to swap the side hustle for a full-time gig.

Now Shedden is taking his next big leap, with his first brick-and-mortar shop having opened at Lime Ridge Mall on Oct. 22.

I started the company really by accident," said Shedden in an interview with The Spectator. I wouldn't have in a million years believed this was possible."

Unlike its name, Cakeworthy doesn't sell a variety of icing-covered gateaux. Instead, the Steeltown-based fashion label specializes in designing unisex streetwear apparel and accessories that are worth celebrating," he noted.

Their pieces revolve around pop culture phenomena - all of which are close to Shedden's heart.

Think a blush pink button-up shirt with the trick-or-treaters from The Nightmare Before Christmas," a purple knit cardigan with Beetlejuice on the back and a ruffled white tote bag featuring colourful Care Bears.

Their work spans several licensors, including Disney, Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal Pictures and Nintendo.

Shedden said while graphic tees and sweaters are a dime a dozen in the world of fast fashion, his company stands apart because of the passion he puts into each design.

He's even declined offers for licences for certain products out of the fear of not doing it justice."

I basically live and breathe all the franchises that we work with," said Shedden, who loves Disney and Harry Potter. I'm designing from a lens of being a hardcore fan."

And being able to pick up on important nuances" has been just one driver of their success. The company is also queer-owned and all of their products are ethically sourced.

Shedden said their collections, which span the likes of The Simpsons" and Elvira to Neopets and The Golden Girls," often sell out as soon as they are released.

When they hosted pop-up sales during the pandemic, hundreds of people would be lined up around their Stoney Creek warehouse before 5:30 a.m. just to get their hands on the product.

We typically don't play it safe," said Shedden. And I think that's what our customers really like."

The new shop will carry all of Cakeworthy's products, including some items that sold out upon launch and archival pieces that have been put aside over the years for those diehard fans that want to get something that is long gone," Shedden added.

And in the coming weeks, the brand will launch its holiday collection as well as some new collaborations later this year.

For Shedden, the opening of the store feels like a full-circle moment as his first job was at the Build-A-Bear shop in the mall. And much like that space, he's designed the Cakeworthy store to feel like an experience - whether or not you end up purchasing something.

Shedden is also hopeful that the space will allow the company to connect with a more local customer base.

Opening a store has always been a huge dream and I can't believe it's happening," he said. I'm trying to really appreciate the culmination of all of this hard work."

Fallon Hewitt is a reporter at The Spectator. fhewitt@thespec.com