Ottawa-based floral muralist Emilie Darlington in partnership with Giant Tiger Stores Limited has created several different custom t-shirts and sweatshirts in celebration of International Women’s Day. 100 per cent of proceeds from the sale of these tops is being donated to the Canadian Women’s Foundation (CWF). Courtesy Photo

OTTAWA – International Women’s Day in 2024 falls on March 8, and this year Giant Tiger Stores Limited has announced a partnership with Ottawa-based floral muralist Emilie Darlington to create a custom t-shirt and sweatshirt in celebration of the day.

Both the t-shirts and sweatshirts are available in select Giant Tiger stores and online at GiantTiger.com, with 100 percent of proceeds being donated to the Canadian Women’s Foundation (CWF). The donation will help support programs that help women, girls, and gender-diverse people move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence and leadership.

“Giant Tiger is committed to championing the voices of women and gender-diverse people in the communities we proudly live in, work in, and serve. We are thrilled to collaborate with Emilie Darlington to create these exclusive shirts and share her artistic vision with our customers across the country,” said Gabrielle Hargrove, Senior Vice President, and Chief HR Officer, Giant Tiger Stores Limited. “We believe in gender equality and are proud to empower women in our stores and support divisions. We will continue to drive change by featuring a new Canadian artist each year to showcase their talent and raise funds to support women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals in’celebration of International Women’s Day.”

With a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Ottawa, Emilie Darlington’s talent is grounded in a profound grasp of artistic fundamentals. The custom design displayed on the t-shirt and sweatshirts reflects her distinctive style.

Each flower has been chosen for its specific meaning. The Tiger Lily represents confidence, pride, and good fortune. The Dahlia represents inner strength and kindness, and the Black-Eyed Susan is a symbol of justice and adaptability. Together, these three flowers create a symbolic statement and serve as a reminder of the importance of supporting women, girls, and gender-diverse people and to raise awareness for International Women’s Day.

“I am so excited and grateful to be collaborating with Giant Tiger to create these custom shirts for International Women’s Day,” said artist Emilie Darlington. “This collaboration is very important because of how each flower represents every woman, girl and gender-diverse person, and how the fight for gender equality and justice unites us all.”

“I am extremely proud to partner with an organization like Giant Tiger and to have the opportunity to share my art to get this powerful message across to all Canadians.”

The Canadian Women’s Foundation is Canada’s public foundation for gender equality and justice. Through funding, advocacy, and knowledge sharing, they support women, girls, and gender-diverse people to move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence and leadership.”

“We are so grateful for Giant Tiger’s long-time support of the Canadian Women’s Foundation,” said Andrea Gunraj, Vice President of Public Engagement at the CWF. “This partnership translates into impact on many levels: it helps change the lives of program participants; rippling out to their families and communities, and it helps us advocate for change that will advance gender equality across Canada.”

For more information on the CWF, artist Emilie Darlington, and the custom-designed shirts, please visit gianttiger.com/pages/international-womens-day.